Air Cooler for Supercharged Combustion Engine

Abstract

An air cooler comprises at least one tubular element with an inside surface which defines a passage for air which is to be cooled in the air cooler. At least one heat-conducting element is fastened inside the passage and is shaped to divide the passage into a plurality of flow paths between the inlet and the outlet of the passage. A medium at a lower temperature than the air to be cooled in the air cooler flows in contact with an outside surface of the tubular element cooling the air in the air cooler as the air is led through the passage. The heat-conducting element is sized such that it occupies only part of the cross-section of the passage in the direction of flow of the medium, thereby forming in a remaining portion of the passage in the direction of flow of the medium an elongate duct between the inlet and the outlet of the passage. The duct has a larger cross-sectional area than the cross-sectional areas of the respective flow paths between the inlet and the outlet of the passage which are formed by the heat-conducting element.

1 . An air cooler operable for cooling compressed air, the air cooler comprising 
 at least one tubular element with an inlet and an outlet in a first direction of flow of air through the tubular element the tubular element having an outside surface the tubular element having an inside surface which defines a passage for the flow of air which is to be cooled in the air cooler    at least one heat-conducting element disposed inside the passage and shaped and positioned to divide the passage into a plurality of flow paths extending in the first air flow direction, and wherein the air cooler is operable such that a medium at a lower temperature than the air which is to be cooled in the air cooler is caused to flow in a second flow direction in contact with the outside surface of the tubular element for cooling the air in the air cooler as the air is led through the passage    the heat-conducting element is of a size such that the heat conducting elements occupies only a part of a cross-section of the passage in the second direction of flow of the medium over the outside surface of the tubular element and does not occupy the entire cross-section of the passage, thereby forming in a remaining portion of the passage an elongate duct in the first direction of air flow, and the elongate duct has a larger cross-sectional area than the cross-sectional areas of the respective flow paths which are formed by the heat-conducting element.    
   
   
       2 . An air cooler according to  claim 1 , wherein the tubular element has a front side and a rear side in the direction of flow of the medium, and the elongate duct is at the front side of the tubular element with respect to the direction of flow of the medium.  
   
   
       3 . An air cooler according to  claim 1 , wherein the tubular element has a front side and a rear side in the second direction of flow of the medium, and the elongate duct is at the front side of the tubular element with respect to the second direction of flow of the medium.  
   
   
       4 . An air cooler according  claim 1 , wherein the passage has a cross-sectional profile with a larger extent in the second direction of flow of the medium than in a direction perpendicular to the direction of flow of the medium.  
   
   
       5 . An air cooler according to  claim 6 , wherein the elongate duct has a cross-sectional profile with substantially the same width as height.  
   
   
       6 . An air cooler according to  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of the tubular elements arranged parallel and in a row at a distance from one another defining gaps between adjacent tubular elements through which the medium is caused to flow.  
   
   
       7 . An air cooler according to  claim 1 , wherein the tubular element is comprised of a material which has good heat-conducting characteristics.  
   
   
       8 . An air cooler according to  claim 7 , wherein the heat-conducting element is comprised of a material which has good heat-conducting characteristics.  
   
   
       9 . An air cooler according to  claim 8 , wherein the heat-conducting element is made of a folded sheet material.  
   
   
       10 . An air cooler according to  claim 1 , wherein the elongate duct has a cross-sectional profile with substantially the same width as height.  
   
   
       11 . An air cooler according to  claim 1 , wherein the heat-conducting element is comprised of a material which has good heat-conducting characteristics.  
   
   
       12 . An air cooler according to  claim 1 , wherein the heat-conducting element is made of a folded sheet material.  
   
   
       13 . An air cooler according to  claim 1 , wherein the heat-conducting element is fastened inside the passage.