Thermal regulation device with housing including flow disruptors

Abstract

Thermal regulation device (1) comprising a heat exchanger (4), and a housing (2), the heat exchanger (4) comprising a first circuit (37) intended to be traversed by a refrigerant fluid and a second circuit (22) intended to be traversed by a heat transfer liquid (7), the heat exchanger (4) being housed in the housing (2) leaving a space (30) arranged between said heat exchanger (4) and said housing (2), the space (30) delimiting a third circuit (23) intended to be traversed by a heat transfer liquid (7), the thermal regulation device (1) being characterized in that the housing (2) comprises a plurality of flow disruptors (15) which extend at least partly into the space (30). (Fig. 1)

Description

Title of the invention: Thermal regulation device with housing comprising flow disruptors

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of thermal regulation devices, and more particularly to thermal regulation devices which are equipped with fluid flow disruptors.

[0002] These thermal regulation devices can, for example, equip a vehicle. They are then arranged within this vehicle to allow the thermal regulation of a first fluid circulating in a first circuit, of a second fluid circulating in a second circuit separate from the first circuit, and of a third fluid traveling through a third circuit annexed to the first and second circuits. The fluids can in particular be a refrigerant circulating within an air conditioning loop of the vehicle or a coolant intended to regulate the temperature of a heat engine.

[0003] Within thermal regulation devices and thermodynamic circuits to which they are attached, fluids circulate by dissipating or absorbing calories. The efficiency of thermal regulation devices and thermodynamic circuits is mainly determined by the heat exchanges between the fluids flowing through them. It is therefore sought to design thermal regulation devices in which the heat exchanges between the fluids circulating within them are optimized. To this end, it is known to equip thermal regulation devices with fluid flow disruptors, so as to increase the heat exchanges between the fluids.

[0004] One type of thermal regulation device used in the automotive field is a device comprising a subassembly centralizing different functions of the thermal regulation system which integrates pumps, distribution valves and possibly other components.

[0005] These multiple components require optimization of the performance of the thermal regulation device to ensure their proper functioning.

[0006] The present invention aims to overcome the drawbacks of the prior art by proposing a thermal regulation device comprising a heat exchanger whose flow disruptors are configured to optimize the disruption of the circulation of fluids and consequently optimize the cooling performance of the device.

[0007] The main object of the present invention is thus a thermal regulation device comprising a heat exchanger and a housing, the heat exchanger comprising a first circuit intended to be traversed by a refrigerant fluid and a second circuit intended to be traversed by a heat transfer liquid, the heat exchanger being housed in the housing leaving a space arranged between said heat exchanger and said housing, the space delimiting a third circuit intended to be traversed by a heat transfer liquid, the thermal regulation device being characterized in that the housing comprises a plurality of flow disruptors which extend at least partly into the space.

[0008] The thermal regulation device according to the invention is configured for the circulation of fluids intended to travel through three separate cooling circuits, such circulation of fluids making it possible to optimize heat exchanges, in particular by means of the flow disruptors present in the space constituting the third circuit. The flow disruptors belonging to the housing housing the heat exchanger extend towards the space delimiting the third circuit in which a heat transfer liquid configured to absorb thermal energy circulates, in order to disrupt the latter to optimize heat exchanges.

[0009] According to one embodiment, the heat transfer fluid circulating in the space constituting the third circuit leaves said third circuit until it enters the second circuit. It is understood that the third circuit, external to the heat exchanger, is extended by the second circuit, internal to the heat exchanger. In this embodiment, a single heat transfer fluid therefore circulates in the thermal regulation device according to the invention.

[0010] According to an optional characteristic of the invention, the housing comprises four walls and a bottom connected to the four walls, the space extending at least in part between these four walls of the housing and the heat exchanger, the plurality of flow disruptors being distributed over at least one of said walls.

[0011] The flow disruptors are deformations of at least one wall constituting the housing housing the heat exchanger and which extend towards said heat exchanger in order to occupy a part of the space delimiting the third circuit in which the heat transfer liquid circulates. The space is delimited on the one hand by the walls forming the housing, from which the flow disruptors project, and on the other hand by the heat exchanger.

[0012] The plurality of flow disruptors is distributed over at least two of the four walls of the housing.

[0013] According to another optional characteristic of the invention, at least one flow disruptor of the plurality of flow disruptors delimits a cavity which extends in a thickness of the wall from which the flow disruptor originates, said cavity being open to an external environment of the housing.

[0014] The flow disruptors are preferably produced by deformation of the housing, for example by stamping one of the walls of the housing.

[0015] According to another optional characteristic of the invention, the flow disruptors are made in one piece with the housing.

[0016] The housing and the flow disruptors are made of synthetic material.

[0017] According to another optional feature of the invention, the flow disruptors are disturbance projections extending from the wall and towards the heat exchanger.

[0018] The flow disruptors preferably extend perpendicular to the walls forming the housing in the direction of the heat exchanger.

[0019] According to another optional characteristic of the invention, at least one flow disruptor of the plurality of flow disruptors has a dimension measured between the wall from which the flow disruptor originates and a top of this flow disruptor, the dimension being between a width of the space measured perpendicular to a wall from which the flow disruptor originates and 10% of this width of the space.

[0020] The dimension is smaller than or equal to the distance between the housing wall and the heat exchanger at the flow disruptor.

[0021] The dimension is measured between the wall from which the flow disruptor projects and a plane passing through a vertex of the flow disruptor, the dimension being measured perpendicular to the plane in which the wall from which the flow disruptor projects is inscribed.

[0022] The width is measured between a plane in which the wall from which the flow disruptor projects is inscribed and a plane passing through a face of the heat exchanger arranged opposite said wall.

[0023] According to another optional characteristic of the invention, at least one flow disruptor of the plurality of flow disruptors extends in space, in a direction perpendicular to the wall from which the flow disruptor originates, along a dimension of between 10 mm and 100 mm.

[0024] According to another optional characteristic of the invention, at least one flow disruptor of the plurality of flow disruptors has a truncated cone or half-ball shape.

[0025] This truncated cone extends between a base and a top, the base corresponding to the portion which joins the wall of the housing while the top is the portion of the disruptor furthest from this plane, the top forming a free end of the truncated cone arranged opposite the heat exchanger.

[0026] According to another optional characteristic of the invention, the heat exchanger comprises a single-piece stack of plates, the housing being closed by an end plate of the heat exchanger constituting the stack of plates.

[0027] According to another optional characteristic of the invention, the terminal plate comprises a first orifice of the first circuit and a second orifice of the first circuit, as well as a first mouth of the third circuit opening into the space.

[0028] The first orifice and the second orifice are configured for the passage of a refrigerant constituting a first cooling means. It is then understood that the first circuit, internal to the heat exchanger, extends from the first orifice which can be considered as an inlet orifice for the refrigerant, to the second orifice which can be considered as an outlet orifice for the refrigerant.

[0029] The first mouth is configured for the entry of the heat transfer liquid into the space delimited between the heat exchanger and the walls forming the housing. It is understood that the first mouth is a heat transfer liquid inlet mouth.

[0030] Furthermore, a second mouth is configured for the outlet of the heat transfer liquid present in the third circuit and is constituted by an inlet of a heat transfer liquid inlet manifold arranged in the heat exchanger. It is understood that the second mouth is a heat transfer liquid outlet mouth.

[0031] According to another optional feature of the invention, the first mouth is arranged in an ear of the end plate, the ear closing a lateral bulge of the housing.

[0032] According to another optional characteristic of the invention, the thermal regulation device comprises a single-piece body comprising the housing.

[0033] According to another optional characteristic of the invention, the single-piece body comprises a reservoir, in particular a degassing reservoir, said reservoir being configured to receive heat transfer liquid.

[0034] The single-piece body comprises a support arranged to carry at least one component with a fluidic function, in particular a plurality of components with a fluidic function.

[0035] The fluidic function component is chosen from the following elements: a pump for pumping the heat transfer fluid, a valve for directing the refrigerant fluid or the heat transfer fluid, in particular a multi-way valve, a non-return valve for the refrigerant fluid or the heat transfer fluid, a throttle valve for the refrigerant fluid or the heat transfer fluid, a condensation exchanger, in particular a water condenser, an electric heating resistance heating device arranged to heat the heat transfer fluid, a desiccant bottle, a filter for filtering particles present in the refrigerant fluid or the heat transfer fluid, in particular a dielectric liquid.

[0036] Other characteristics, details and advantages of the invention will emerge more clearly on reading the description which follows on the one hand, and examples of embodiment given for informational and non-limiting purposes with reference to the appended drawings on the other hand, in which:

[0037] [Fig-1] illustrates, in perspective, a thermal regulation device according to the invention;

[0038] [Fig.2] is a perspective view of the heat exchanger plate assembly housed in the housing, the housing and the heat exchanger both belonging to the thermal regulation device of [Fig.l];

[0039] [Fig.3] is a perspective view of the housing belonging to the thermal regulation device of [Fig.l];

[0040] [Fig.4] is another perspective view of the housing belonging to the device for re thermal regulation of [Fig.l].

[0041] The features, variants and different embodiments of the invention may be combined with each other, in various combinations, provided that they are not incompatible or mutually exclusive. In particular, variants of the invention may be imagined comprising only a selection of features described below in isolation from the other features described, if this selection of features is sufficient to confer a technical advantage and / or to differentiate the invention from the prior art.

[0042] In the figures, the elements common to several figures retain the same reference.

[0043] In the detailed description which follows, the terms “longitudinal”, “transverse” and “vertical” refer to the orientation of a thermal regulation device 1 according to the invention. A longitudinal direction L corresponds to a direction parallel to a main elongation axis of the thermal regulation device 1. A transverse direction T corresponds to a direction parallel to a width of the thermal regulation device 1, perpendicular to the longitudinal direction L. Finally, a vertical direction V corresponds to a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal directions L and transverse directions T.

[0044] [Fig.l] thus illustrates the thermal regulation device 1 according to the invention, this thermal regulation device 1 being intended to equip a motor vehicle. The thermal regulation device 1 participates in the cooling of at least one element of the motor vehicle with which it is equipped. For this purpose, it is configured to carry out a heat exchange, in other words an exchange of calories, between a refrigerant fluid and another fluid, the exchange of calories being carried out thanks to a heat exchanger 4 which it comprises. This other fluid may for example be a heat transfer liquid such as glycolated water, a dielectric fluid or oil. These two fluids more precisely pass through the heat exchanger 4.

[0045] The thermal regulation device 1 extends mainly in a longitudinal direction L. It comprises a housing 2 in which the heat exchanger 4 is arranged, and comprises an expansion tank 6 as well as a support 8. The support 8, the housing 2 and the expansion tank 6 form a single-piece body 10 of the regulation device. thermal 1.

[0046] The expansion tank 6 is configured to receive heat transfer liquid 7. The expansion tank 6 is closed by a cover 21. The cover 21 comprises a first conduit 34 and a second conduit 36, configured to degas certain parts of the heat transfer liquid loop.

[0047] The support 8 is configured to carry at least one fluidic function component, in particular a plurality of fluidic function components which are not shown in the figures. One of the fluidic function components is a pump configured to circulate the heat transfer liquid 7. The support 8 also comprises a valve for directing the refrigerant fluid or the heat transfer liquid 7; this valve may, for example, be a multi-way valve. A non-return valve is also provided on the support 8 for the refrigerant fluid or the heat transfer liquid 7, as well as a throttle valve.

[0048] Furthermore, the support 8 comprises a condensation exchanger, in particular a water condenser. A heating device with an electric heating resistance is also arranged on the support to heat the refrigerant or the heat transfer liquid 7. A desiccant bottle and a filter for filtering particles present in the refrigerant or in the heat transfer liquid 7, in particular a dielectric fluid, are included by the support 8.

[0049] It is then understood that the single-piece body 10 comprising on the one hand the housing 2 in which the heat exchanger 4 is housed and on the other hand the support 8 as well as the expansion tank 6, makes it possible to compact different functions and therefore has the advantage of saving space within the vehicle which it equips.

[0050] As detailed in [Fig. 1], the housing 2 is closed by an end plate 12 of the heat exchanger 4 housed within the housing 2 and visible in [Fig.2]. The end plate 12 is fixed to the housing 2 by means of screwing means 13.

[0051] The housing 2 is formed by four walls, a first wall 14a and a second wall 14b of which extend in the transverse T and longitudinal L directions, and a third wall 14c and a fourth wall 14d of which extend in the vertical V and transverse T directions. It is understood here that the first wall 14a and the second wall 14b extend perpendicular to the third wall 14c and to the fourth wall 14d. The first, second, third and fourth walls 14a, 14b, 14c and 14d are connected to each other by a bottom 16 of the housing 2.

[0052] According to the invention, the first wall 14a and the fourth wall 14d, for example, comprise flow disruptors 15 as they will be described in more detail in relation to [Fig. 3]. Seen from the outside, these flow disruptors 15 are in the form of cavities 17 open onto an external environment of the housing 2.

[0053] The end plate 12 comprises a connection block 18 having a first orifice 20a and a second orifice 20b configured for the passage of the refrigerant intended to travel through a first circuit constituting a first cooling means for one of the target components of the vehicle. The first circuit therefore extends from the first orifice 20a to the second orifice 20b. The first circuit is internal to the heat exchanger 4.

[0054] A second circuit internal to the heat exchanger 4 is traversed by the heat transfer liquid 7, and is extended by a third circuit 23 external to the heat exchanger 4, delimited by the space 30 referenced [Fig.2], between the housing 2 and the heat exchanger 4.

[0055] The end plate 12 comprises a first mouth 22a configured to supply the third circuit 23 with heat transfer fluid 7. The second and third circuits constitute a second cooling means for one of the target components of the vehicle. More precisely, the first mouth 22a is arranged in an ear 24 of the end plate 12. The ear 24 closes a lateral bulge 27 of the housing 2 as seen in FIGS. 3 and 4.

[0056] The heat transfer liquid 7 initially enters the space 30 forming the third circuit 23, between the housing 2 and the heat exchanger 4, through the first supply opening 22a. The heat transfer liquid 7 circulates in the third circuit 23 until it leaves the space 30 through an inlet of a heat transfer liquid inlet manifold 7 present in the heat exchanger 4. It is understood that the second circuit and the third circuit 23 are connected in series.

[0057] Then, the heat transfer liquid 7 passes through the heating body of the heat exchanger 4 until it leaves the heating body through an outlet 22b of a heat transfer liquid outlet collector present in the heat exchanger 4, this outlet 22b being arranged on an end plate 12b of the heat exchanger, this end plate 12b being arranged on the side opposite the end plate 12 on the heat exchanger 4. This outlet 22b is connected in a sealed manner to a cooling circuit external to the housing 2 by a male tube arranged on the end plate 12b and inserted into a female tube of a feed pump not shown. The feed pump is external to the housing except at the level of its female tubing, which enters the housing 2 by being mounted in an access tubing (visible [Fig.4]) molded directly into the housing 2 on the bottom 16 of the housing 2.

[0058] [Fig. 2] illustrates the heat exchanger 4 housed within the housing 2. The heat exchanger 4 participates in the cooling of at least one element of the motor vehicle with which it is fitted. For this purpose, it is configured to carry out a heat exchange between the refrigerant fluid and the heat transfer fluid 7.

[0059] The heat exchanger 4 extends mainly in a vertical direction V when it is stored in the housing 2. It comprises a plurality of plates 26 which all extend in the vertical V and longitudinal L directions. More particularly, the heat exchanger 4 is formed by a stack 28 of plates 26 which are superimposed on each other in a stacking direction E parallel to the transverse direction T.

[0060] Each plate 26 of the stack 28 has a substantially rectangular shape.

[0061] As seen in [Fig.2], the stack 28 of plates 26 is covered by the end plate 12 which constitutes an end plate of the heat exchanger 4. The end plate 12 has a generally rectangular shape. With the exception of the end plate 12 and a possible other end plate 12b arranged opposite it in the stacking direction E, the set of plates 26 constitutes the heating body of the heat exchanger 4, that is to say a portion within which the heat exchanges between the refrigerant fluid and the heat transfer liquid 7 take place. Furthermore, the stack 28 of plates 26 is arranged in the housing 2 so as to leave a non-zero distance forming the space 30, between said housing 2 and at least one of the lateral faces 32a, 32b, 32c, 32d of the heat exchanger 4 as well as between the housing 2 and the end plate 12b through which the heat transfer liquid 7 enters the heat exchanger 4.The space 30 is therefore crossed by the heat transfer liquid 7 constituting the third circuit 23. The lateral face 32b is not shown because it is cut by the sectional view of [Fig.2].

[0062] As detailed in Figures 3 and 4, the four walls of the housing 14a, 14b, 14c, 14d are connected by the bottom 16 of the housing 2.

[0063] The bottom 16 of the housing 2 also has a clearance 33 configured to house there at least in part the access tubing of the housing 2 allowing the sealed connection of the second circuit to a supply pump external to the housing 2. This clearance allows this connection not to require too large a space between the bottom 16 of the housing 2 and the terminal plate 12b proximal to this bottom 16.

[0064] Flow disruptors 15 project from the four walls 14a, 14b, 14c, 14d of the housing 2 towards the heat exchanger 4 housed in said housing 2. A flow disruptor 15 is here a truncated cone or a half-ball which is made of material with at least one of the four walls 14a, 14b, 14c, 14d of the housing 2. In the presence of several truncated cones, these are distributed according to a regular pattern. The walls of the housing 14a, 14b, 14c, 14d also have smooth portions 36 interposed between these regular patterns comprising the flow disruptors 15.

[0065] According to the invention and as visible in Figures 2 and 3, the flow disruptors 15 extend in the space 30 in a direction perpendicular to the wall from which the disruptor originates in order to disturb the heat transfer liquid 7 circulating in said space 30. The flow disruptor 15 extends along a dimension D of between 10 mm and 100mm. This dimension D is defined by a measurement taken between the base arranged in one of the walls 14a, 14b, 14c, 14d of the housing 2 and the top 25 of the flow disruptor 15 which is perpendicularly arranged to one of the walls 32a, 32b, 32c, 32d of the heat exchanger 4. More precisely, the base of the flow disruptor is joined to one of the walls 14a, 14b, 14c, 14d of the housing 2 and the top 25 is opposite the interior of the housing 2. The dimension D is between a width L1 of the space 30 measured perpendicularly to one of the walls 14a, 14b, 14c, 14d from which the flow disruptor 15 originates and ten percent of this width L1. The width L1 is measured between a plane in which one of the walls 14a, 14b, 14c, 14d of the housing 2 from which the flow disruptor 15 originates is inscribed and a plane passing through a face 32a, 32b, 32c, 32d of the heat exchanger 4.

[0066] Depending on their depth, the flow disruptors 15 also participate in maintaining and centering the heat exchanger 4 in the housing 2. When the plates 26 are assembled in the stacking direction E in order to form the heat exchanger 4, the tops 25 of the flow disruptors 15 projecting from a wall 14a, 14b, 14c, 14d of the housing 2 by their base, are perpendicular to the stacking direction E in which the plates 26 of the stack 28 are stacked. The truncated cone has a circular profile seen from above and a flat top.

[0067] The present invention thus proposes on the one hand - a thermal regulation device 1 comprising a housing 2 on which flow disruptors 15 are arranged, the flow disruptors 15 being configured to optimize the disruption of the circulation of fluids within the heat exchanger 4, and on the other hand - a thermal regulation device 1 comprising a single-piece body 10 forming the housing 2 housing the heat exchanger 4, the support 8 with elements having fluidic compositions as well as the expansion tank 6; this makes it possible to optimally manage the heat exchanges by centralizing different functions in a single single-piece assembly.

[0068] The present invention cannot, however, be limited to the means and configurations described and illustrated here and it also extends to any equivalent means and any equivalent configuration as well as to any technically operative combination of such means.

Claims

Claims

1. Thermal regulation device (1) comprising a heat exchanger (4), and a housing (2), the heat exchanger (4) comprising a first circuit (37) intended to be traversed by a refrigerant fluid and a second circuit (22) intended to be traversed by a heat transfer liquid (7), the heat exchanger (4) being housed in the housing (2) leaving a space (30) arranged between said heat exchanger (4) and said housing (2), the space (30) delimiting a third circuit (23) intended to be traversed by a heat transfer liquid (7), the thermal regulation device (1) being characterized in that the housing (2) comprises a plurality of flow disruptors (15) which extend at least partly into the space (30).

2. Thermal regulation device (1) according to claim 1, wherein the housing (2) comprises four walls (14a, 14b, 14c, 14d) and a bottom (16) connected to the four walls (14a, 14b, 14c, 14d), the space (30) extending at least partly between these four walls (14a, 14b, 14c, 14d) of the housing (2) and the heat exchanger (4), the plurality of flow disruptors (15) being distributed on at least one of said walls (14a, 14b, 14c, 14d).

3. Thermal regulation device (1) according to claim 2, wherein at least one flow disruptor (15) of the plurality of flow disruptors (15) delimits a cavity (17) which extends in a thickness of the wall (14a, 14b, 14c, 14d) from which the flow disruptor (15) originates, said cavity (17) being open to an external environment of the housing (2).

4. Thermal regulation device according to any one of claims 2 to 3, in which the flow disruptors (15) are made in one piece with the housing (2).

5. A thermal control device (1) according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the flow disruptors (15) are disrupting projections extending from the wall (14a, 14b, 14c, 14d) towards the heat exchanger (4).

6. Thermal regulation device (1) according to any one of claims 2 to 5, in which at least one flow disruptor (15) of the plurality of flow disruptors (15) has a dimension (D) measured between the wall (14a, 14b, 14c, 14d) from which the flow disruptor (15) originates and a top (25) of this flow disruptor (15), the dimension (D) being between a width (Ll) of the space measured perpendicular to a wall (14a, 14b, 14c, 14d) from which the flow disruptor (15) originates and 10% of this width (Ll) of the space.

7. Thermal regulation device (1) according to any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein at least one flow disruptor (15) of the plurality of flow disruptors (15) extends in the space (30), in a direction perpendicular to the wall (14a, 14b, 14c 14d) from which the flow disruptor (15) originates, according to a dimension (D) of between 10mm and 100mm.

8. A thermal control device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein at least one flow disruptor (15) of the plurality of flow disruptors (15) has a truncated cone or half-ball shape.

9. Thermal regulation device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein said thermal regulation device (1) comprises a single-piece body (10) comprising the housing (2).

10. Thermal regulation device (1) according to the preceding claim, in which the single-piece body (10) comprises a reservoir, in particular an expansion tank (6), said expansion tank (6) being configured to receive heat transfer liquid (7).

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