Flow channel for a heat exchanger, and heat exchanger comprising such flow channels

Abstract

The invention relates to a flow channel of a heat exchanger with two parallel heat transfer areas (F 1, F 2 ) that are arranged at a distance corresponding to a channel height H. Each heat transfer area (F 1, F 2 ) is provided with a structure that is formed by a plurality of structural elements which are placed next to each other in rows running perpendicular to the direction of flow P and extend into the flow channel. Each structural element has a width B, a length L, a height h, a flow-off angle a, and an overlap U while being provided with a longitudinal axis.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A flow passage of a heat exchanger, the flow passage being configured to allow a flow of a medium therethrough, and the flow passage comprising:
 a plurality of structure elements arranged in pairs such that each pair forms a V-shape;   a first surface comprising a first plurality of the structure elements projecting into an interior of the flow passage and arranged in a first plurality of rows, wherein each of the rows in the first plurality of rows is transverse with respect to a direction of the flow; and   a second surface comprising a second plurality of the structure elements projecting into the interior of the flow passage and arranged in a second plurality of rows, wherein each of the rows in the second plurality of rows is transverse with respect to the direction of the flow,   wherein each of the rows in the first plurality of rows overlaps each of the rows in the second plurality of rows in the direction of the flow.   
     
     
         2 . The flow passage as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the overlap of each of the rows in the first plurality of rows and each of the rows in the second plurality of rows is 100%. 
     
     
         3 . The flow passage as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the structure elements is rectangular in form and has a straight longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         4 . The flow passage as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein at least one structure element is elongate and angled in form and has an angled longitudinal axis which forms the flow-off angle α and a flow-on angle β with the direction of flow β. 
     
     
         5 . The flow passage as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein at least one structure element is arcuate in form and has a longitudinal axis which is curved with a radius R and forms the flow-off angle (α) and a flow-on angle β with the direction of flow P. 
     
     
         6 . The flow passage as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein at least one structure element is approximately Z-shaped in form and has a doubly curved longitudinal axis with radii which forms the flow-off angle α and a flow-on angle β with the direction of flow P. 
     
     
         7 . The flow passage as claimed in  claim 1 , at least one structure element is V-shaped in form and has straight V limbs. 
     
     
         8 . The flow passage as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein at least one structure element is V-shaped in form and has V limbs which are curved away from the direction of flow. 
     
     
         9 . The flow passage as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein a height of at least one of the structure elements is 20% to 50% of a distance between the first surface and the second surface. 
     
     
         10 . The flow passage as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein a length of at least one structure element is from two to twelve times the height of the at least one structure element. 
     
     
         11 . The flow passage as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein:
 the first plurality of rows comprises a first row and a second row, and   a distance between the first row and the second row is 0.5 to eight times a depth of at least one of the structure elements in the first plurality of the structure elements.   
     
     
         12 . The flow passage as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the structure elements has a constant width in a range from 0.1 to 6.0 mm. 
     
     
         13 . The flow passage as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein a flow-off angle of each of the plurality of structure elements is in a range from 20 to 70°. 
     
     
         14 . The flow passage as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein the flow-on angle β is in each case larger than the flow-off angle α. 
     
     
         15 . The flow passage as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the radius R is in the range from 1 to 10 mm, preferably in the range from 1 to 5 mm. 
     
     
         16 . The flow passage as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein the radii R 1  and R 2  are equal to the radius R. 
     
     
         17 . The flow passage as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the structure elements of at least one row of the first plurality of the structure elements are identical to the structure elements of at least one row of the second plurality of the structure elements. 
     
     
         18 . The flow passage as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein a row in each case has different structure elements. 
     
     
         19 . The flow passage as claimed in  claim 17 , wherein some or all the structure elements are parallel but offset with respect to one another and are arranged in pairs at a distance a transversely with respect to the direction of flow. 
     
     
         20 . The flow passage as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein a distance between two structure elements in a pair of structure elements varies within at least one row of structure elements. 
     
     
         21 . The flow passage as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein a distance between two structure elements in a pair of structure elements is in a range from 0 to 8 mm. 
     
     
         22 . The flow passage as claimed in  claim 17 , wherein individual structure elements of a row are offset by an amount f with respect to one another in the direction of flow P, the amount f being less than the depth T of the structure elements, and T being the projection of the length L transversely with respect to the direction of flow P. 
     
     
         23 . The flow passage as claimed in  claim 19 , wherein individual structure elements of a row are not arranged parallel and have a differing flow-off angle α. 
     
     
         24 . The flow passage as claimed in  claim 19 , wherein individual structure elements of a row have different lengths L 1 , L 2 . 
     
     
         25 . The flow passage as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein opposite rows have an offset f in the direction of flow P, f being less than the depth T of a row. 
     
     
         26 . The flow passage as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein at least one pair of structure elements in the first plurality of structure elements has an opposite orientation than at least one pair of structure elements in the second plurality of structure elements. 
     
     
         27 . The flow passage as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein:
 the first plurality of rows comprises voids between the structure elements of the first plurality of rows,   the second plurality of rows comprises voids between the structure elements of the second plurality of rows,   the structure elements of the second plurality of rows lie opposite the voids in the first plurality of rows, and   the structure elements of the first plurality of rows lie opposite the voids in the second plurality of rows.   
     
     
         28 . The flow passage as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the structure elements of opposite rows touch one another, in particular are joined to one another by welding or soldering. 
     
     
         29 . The flow passage as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the structure elements of the first plurality of the structure elements have the same depth in the direction of flow as the structure elements of the second plurality of the structure elements. 
     
     
         30 . The flow passage as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein opposite rows of structure elements have different depths T 1 , T 2  in the direction of flow P. 
     
     
         31 . The flow passage as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the heat exchange surfaces which lie substantially opposite one another, and in particular the structure elements arranged thereon, are curved. 
     
     
         32 . The flow passage as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the heat exchange surfaces which lie substantially opposite one another are heat-engineering primary surfaces or secondary surfaces, the secondary surfaces being formed in particular by fins, webs or the like which are preferably clamped, welded or soldered to the flow passage. 
     
     
         33 . The flow passage as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the height of each of the plurality of structure elements is in a range from 2 mm to 10 mm. 
     
     
         34 . The flow passage as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the flow passage is rectangular and has a width which is in a range from 5 mm to 120 mm. 
     
     
         35 . The flow passage as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein a hydraulic diameter of the flow passage is in the range from 3 mm to 26 mm, in particular in the range from 3 mm to 10 mm. 
     
     
         36 . A heat exchanger for a motor vehicle comprising at least one flow passage according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         37 . The heat exchanger as claimed in  claim 36 , wherein the at least one flow passage is formed as soldered or welded flat or rectangular tubes, and the first surface and second surface are formed as flat tube walls. 
     
     
         38 . The heat exchanger as claimed in  claim 36 , wherein the at least one flow passage is formed by stacking plates or disks which have structure elements on top of one another. 
     
     
         39 . The heat exchanger as claimed in  claim 36 , wherein the structure elements are formed into tube walls by stamping. 
     
     
         40 . The heat exchanger as claimed in  claim 36 , wherein exhaust gas can flow through the tubes and a liquid coolant can flow around the tubes.