Heat Exchanger Latching Mechanism for Sealing Reliability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing heat exchangers face challenges in production cost and reliability due to the use of materials like plastics and light metal alloys, which have limitations in thermal conductivity and expansion issues leading to sealing failures under temperature variations.
Innovation Solution
The heat exchanger design incorporates a latching mechanism with axial prestressing of the ring seal, ensuring consistent sealing performance across temperatures, using latching contours and counter-latching contours to securely position the heat exchanger block within the housing, and employing plastic or metal bead seals for enhanced tightness and thermal resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If plastics and light metal alloys are used for the housing, then production costs are reduced and weight is decreased, but thermal conductivity is insufficient and sealing reliability deteriorates under temperature variations
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is divided into two functional parts: the main housing body made of plastic or light metal alloy for cost reduction and weight reduction, and a separate metal insert in the base area for thermal management and sealing stability. This segmentation allows each material to perform its optimal function.
Solution Approach 2:
Different materials are used in different regions of the housing: plastics or light metal alloys for the main body where weight and cost are critical, and metal for the base area where thermal conductivity and sealing reliability are paramount. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction between cost-effectiveness and performance.
2Ease of manufacture
If the heat exchanger block is produced outside the housing, then production flexibility is improved and thermal load management is enhanced, but assembly complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The heat exchanger block is pre-assembled with the metal base as an integrated unit outside the housing, allowing thermal processing and welding to be performed under optimal conditions. This merged configuration simplifies the final assembly by reducing the number of separate components that need to be installed.
3Temperature
If metal walls are inserted in inlet and outlet areas to reduce thermal load, then thermal management is improved, but device complexity and production cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The metal wall function is merged into the metal base that already supports the heat exchanger block. The base itself serves as the thermal management structure, eliminating the need for separate metal wall inserts in the inlet and outlet areas, thereby reducing complexity while maintaining thermal performance.
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
This design reduces production costs, improves sealing reliability, and allows for the use of less expensive materials while maintaining effective thermal performance and structural integrity across varying temperatures.
Implementation Method 1
the heat exchanger block and housing change during operation of the heat exchanger due to the different temperatures and the possibly different coefficients of thermal expansion stretch
Implementation Method 2
The heat transfer between the working medium flowing inside and the cooling medium flowing outside takes place via the walls of the working medium tubes
Implementation Method 3
a coolant path leads from the coolant inlet outside around the working medium tubes to the coolant outlet
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
The invention relates to a heat exchanger (1) for cooling a working medium (12) by means of a cooling medium (13) with separation of the mediums, comprising a housing (2) having a housing casing (4), a working medium inlet (5), a working medium outlet (6), a cooling medium inlet (7) and a cooling medium outlet (8), and comprising a heat exchanger block (3) which is located in the housing (2) and has a front end cap (9) near the working medium inlet (5) and a rear end cap (10) remote from the working medium inlet (5), as well as multiple working medium pipes (11) for carrying the working medium (12), which pipes pass through the two end caps (9, 10) and are securely connected to the two end caps (9, 10), wherein an axial ring seal (19) is arranged axially between an edge (17) of the rear base (10) and a step (18) on the housing (2). An improved sealing function can be achieved if the housing (2) has at least one clip-in contour (20) in the region of the step (18), which cooperates with a mating clip-in contour (21) on the edge (17) on a rear side (22) of the edge (17) facing away from the ring seal (19).