Exhaust Gas Recirculation Cooler Flow Guide for Heat Transfer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing exhaust gas recirculation coolers face challenges in achieving longer and more uniform exposure of the tube bundle to coolant, which limits heat transfer between exhaust gas and coolant, and existing flow guide structures are costly and not modular.
Innovation Solution
A cost-effective and simple flow guide structure is implemented, using a housing with a coolant inlet and outlet, and a flow guide arrangement that guides coolant between rows of tubes, delaying its flow and ensuring longer exposure to the tube block, enhancing heat transfer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If existing flow guide structures are used to improve heat transfer, then heat transfer between coolant and exhaust gas is improved, but manufacturing costs significantly increase and modularity is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The flow guide structure is divided into multiple individual wire elements that can be independently manufactured and then assembled together. Each wire element is inserted through the tube block and bent to form the flow guide geometry, allowing for modular construction that reduces manufacturing complexity and cost while maintaining the heat transfer improvement benefits
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses thin wire elements that are flexible enough to be inserted and bent into the desired flow guide shape within the tube block. These thin wire elements create the necessary flow guidance function without adding significant structural complexity or manufacturing cost, resolving the contradiction between improved heat transfer and ease of manufacture
2Temperature
If the tube bundle exposure to coolant is extended for better heat transfer, then heat transfer efficiency improves, but the amount of coolant required increases beyond available limits
Solution Approach 1:
The wire elements create localized flow guidance that concentrates and directs the coolant flow to specific areas of the tube bundle that benefit most from cooling. This local optimization of coolant distribution improves heat transfer efficiency without requiring an increase in the total coolant quantity, as the existing coolant is used more effectively in critical heat transfer zones
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution improves heat transfer between coolant and exhaust gas, preventing overheating and mechanical failure, while being cost-effective and modular, thus increasing the efficiency and reliability of the exhaust gas recirculation cooler.
Implementation Method 1
The exhaust gas flows through the winglet tubes and is cooled by a coolant flowing in the housing. The flow guide arrangement guides the coolant inside the tube block, delaying its flow and ensuring longer exposure to the tube block, enhancing heat transfer.
Implementation Method 2
The cooling tubes are mostly winglet tubes made of stainless steel, in which flow obstructions for better heat transfer are integrally formed. The exhaust gas flows through the winglet tubes and is cooled by a coolant flowing in the housing.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
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AI summary
The invention relates to an exhaust gas recirculation cooler (1) for an internal combustion engine, in particular for a motor vehicle. The exhaust gas recirculation cooler (1) has a housing (2) in which several cooling tubes (3) are arranged side by side in slots to form a tube row (4), and at least two tube rows (4) are arranged one above the other and spaced apart from each other to form a tube block (5). The exhaust gas flows through the inside of each cooling tube (3), which connects an exhaust gas inlet (6) to an exhaust gas outlet (7) in a gas-conducting manner, while the coolant flows around the outside of the housing (2). The housing (2) also has a coolant inlet (9) opening into the housing (2) in an inlet area (8) and a coolant outlet (10). Furthermore, the exhaust gas recirculation cooler (1) has an annular space (11) surrounding the tube block (5) in the circumferential direction, through which the coolant flows.According to the invention, the exhaust gas recirculation cooler (1) has a flow guide arrangement (12) for guiding the coolant inside the tube block (5), which is arranged in the housing (2) at least partially adjacent to at least one of the tube rows (4).