Heat exchanger

Abstract

An improved heat exchanger for an automotive vehicle, comprising at least one end tank; and at least two heat exchangers including a plurality of spaced apart extruded metal tubes with fins between the spaced tubes. The heat exchangers are disposed so that their respective tubes and fins are generally co-planar with each other and are connected to the end tank. In preferred embodiments, the heat exchanger may include a bypass element.

1 - 50 . (canceled)  
   
   
       51 . A multi-fluid heat exchanger, comprising: 
 one or more first tubes adapted to have a first fluid flow therethrough;    a plurality of second tubes adapted to have a second fluid flow therethrough; and    one or more components including at least one end tank, fins, baffles, inlet portions, outlet portions or combinations thereof;    wherein the one or more first tubes, the plurality of second tubes, and the one or more components are attached to each other as a single assembly.    
   
   
       52 . A multi-fluid heat exchanger as in  claim 51  further comprising: 
 a plurality of third tubes adapted to have a third fluid flow therethrough, wherein the one or more first tubes, the plurality of second tubes, the plurality of third tubes and the one or more components are attached to each other as a single assembly.    
   
   
       53 . A heat exchanger as in  claim 52  wherein at least one of the first fluid, the second fluid or the third fluid is a radiator fluid.  
   
   
       54 . A heat exchanger as in  claim 53  wherein at least one of the first fluid, the second fluid or the third fluid is an oil selected from power steering oil and transmission oil.  
   
   
       55 . A heat exchanger as in  claim 52  wherein the first tubes, the second tubes and the third tubes are in side-by-side arrangements, stacked arrangements or a combination thereof relative to each other.  
   
   
       56 . A heat exchanger as in  claim 52  further comprising a bypass element integrated with at least one of the one or more first tubes, the plurality of second tubes, the plurality of third tubes, the one or more components or a combination thereof.  
   
   
       57 . A heat exchanger as in  claim 52  wherein each of the one or more first tubes includes a passageway and the passageway includes partitions.  
   
   
       58 . A heat exchanger as in  claim 57  wherein the partitions divide the passageway such that the tube will perform a passive bypass function.  
   
   
       59 . A heat exchanger as in  claim 58  wherein the partitions include fins.  
   
   
       60 . A heat exchanger as in  claim 52  wherein at least one of the first tubes, second tubes or third tubes is of another size than one of the other tubes.  
   
   
       61 . A heat exchanger as in  claim 52  wherein the one or more first tubes have a length and a hydraulic diameter wherein a ratio of the length to the hydraulic diameter is between about 80 and about 1820.  
   
   
       62 . A heat exchanger as in  claim 61  wherein the length is between about 200 mm to about 1000 mm and the hydraulic diameter is between about 0.55 to about 2.50 mm.  
   
   
       63 . A heat exchanger as in  claim 52  further comprising at least one end tube restricted from fluid communication with the first fluid, the second fluid and the third fluid.  
   
   
       64 . A heat exchanger comprising: 
 one or more end tanks;    a plurality of first tubes in fluid communication with the one or more end tanks, the plurality of first tubes adapted to have a first fluid flow therethrough;    a plurality of second tubes in fluid communication with the one or more end tanks, the plurality of second tubes adapted to have a second fluid, different from the first fluid, flow therethrough;    a plurality of third tubes in fluid communication with the one or more end tanks, the plurality of third tubes adapated to have a third fluid, different from the first or second fluid, flow therethrough;    a plurality of fins disposed between the first, second and third tubes, the fins and tubes being in a side-by-side arrangement, a stacked arrangement, a co-planar arrangement or a combination thereof relative to each other;    wherein at least one of the first fluid, second fluid or third fluid is a radiator fluid.    
   
   
       65 . A heat exchanger as in  claim 64  wherein the one or more end tanks are divided into an inlet and outlet portion for each of the plurality of first tubes, the plurality of second tubes and the plurality of third tubes.  
   
   
       66 . A heat exchanger as in  claim 64  wherein: 
 i) a surface area ratio (R 1 ) of internal surface area (S 1,internal ) to external surface area (S 1,external ) for the second tubes is less than one; and    ii) a surface area ratio (R 2 ) of internal surface area (S 2,internal ) to external surface area (S 2,external ) for the first tubes is preferably greater than one.    
   
   
       67 . A heat exchanger as in  claim 64  wherein a ratio (R 1/2 ) of ratio (R 2 ) to ratio (R 1 ) is in a range between about 1.2 and about 5.0.  
   
   
       68 . A heat exchanger as in  claim 64  further comprising at least one end tube restricted from fluid communication with the first fluid, the second fluid and the third fluid and wherein the heat exchanger includes no more than one end plate.  
   
   
       69 . A heat exchanger comprising: 
 one or more end tanks;    a plurality of first tubes in fluid communication with the one or more end tanks, the plurality of first tubes adapted to have a first fluid flow therethrough;    a plurality of second tubes in fluid communication with the one or more end tanks, the plurality of second tubes adapted to have a second fluid, different from the first fluid, flow therethrough;    a plurality of third tubes in fluid communication with the one or more end tanks, the plurality of third tubes adapated to have a third fluid, different from the first or second fluid, flow therethrough;    a plurality of fins disposed between the first, second and third tubes, the fins and tubes being in a side-by-side arrangement, a stacked arrangement, a co-planar arrangement or a combination thereof relative to each other;    wherein at least one of the first, second or third metal tubes includes an interior wall structure including a partition adapted for subdividing the tube into a plurality of passageways within the tube.    
   
   
       70 . A heat exchanger as in  claim 69  wherein at least one of the first fluid, second fluid or third fluid is a radiator fluid.