Inlet air turbulent grid mixer and dimpled surface resonant charge air cooler core

Abstract

A resonant charge air cooler is provided having internal structures for producing vortexes in the air flow, thus inducing turbulence and increasing heat transfer efficiency. The air cooler includes an inlet tank, an outlet tank and a plurality of tubes fluidly connecting the inlet and outlet tanks. The tubes include vortex-inducing structures such as dimples or grooves formed on their interior surfaces. A vortex-inducing structure such as wire mesh formed from a long wire, a wire grid or parallel wires on a frame is included in the inlet tank. By changing the geometry of the internal structures, turbulent eddies are created at very small length scales. Adjustment of the geometries results in vortexes that have almost the same size as those produced by the surface dimples or grooves formed on the walls of the tubes connecting the inlet and outlet tanks, whereby a resonance behavior occurs and heat transfer increases.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A heat exchanger comprising:
 an inlet tank having an inlet;   a vortex-inducing structure fitted within said inlet tank;   an outlet tank having an outlet;   a tube fluidly connecting said inlet tank and said outlet tank, said tube including an interior surface; and   a vortex-inducing structure formed on said interior surface of said tube.   
     
     
         2 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1  wherein said vortex-inducing structure fitted within said inlet tank is a wire. 
     
     
         3 . The heat exchanger of  claim 2  wherein said wire comprises a plurality of randomly-arranged wires. 
     
     
         4 . The heat exchanger of  claim 2  wherein said wire comprises a wire grid. 
     
     
         5 . The heat exchanger of  claim 4  wherein said wire grid is formed by a plurality of intersecting wires. 
     
     
         6 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1  wherein said wire comprises parallel wires positioned on a frame. 
     
     
         7 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1  wherein said vortex-inducing structure formed on said interior surface of said tube is a plurality of raised dimples. 
     
     
         8 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1  wherein said vortex-inducing structure formed on said interior surface of said tube is a plurality of grooves. 
     
     
         9 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1  wherein said vortex-inducing structure formed on said interior surface of said tube is a combination of a plurality of raised dimples and a plurality of grooves. 
     
     
         10 . A heat exchanger comprising:
 an inlet tank;   an inlet vortex-inducing structure fitted within said tank, said inlet vortex-inducing structure being selected from the group consisting of randomly-arranged wires, intersecting wires, and parallel wires;   an outlet tank;   a tube fluidly connecting said inlet and outlet tanks, said tube including an interior surface; and   a tube vortex-inducing structure formed on said interior surface, said tube vortex-inducing structure being selected from the group consisting of dimples and grooves.   
     
     
         11 . The heat exchanger of  claim 10  wherein said wire grid is formed by a plurality of intersecting wires. 
     
     
         12 . The heat exchanger of  claim 10  wherein said vortex-inducing structure formed on said interior surface of said tube is a combination of said randomly-arranged wires and said wire grid. 
     
     
         13 . The heat exchanger of  claim 10  wherein said vortex-inducing structure formed on said interior surface of said tube is a combination of said dimples and a said grooves. 
     
     
         14 . A method for cooling fluid in an internal combustion engine comprising:
 forming a heat exchanger having an inlet tank, a vortex-inducing structure fitted within said tank, an outlet tank, a tube fluidly connecting said inlet and outlet tanks, said tube including an interior surface, said interior surface having a vortex-inducing structure formed thereon; and   adjusting the geometries of said vortex-inducing structures to obtain a preferred resonance within said heat exchanger when coolant flows therethrough.   
     
     
         15 . The method for cooling fluid of  claim 14  wherein said vortex-inducing structure fitted within said inlet tank is a wire. 
     
     
         16 . The method for cooling fluid of  claim 15  wherein said
 wherein said wire comprises a plurality of randomly-arranged wires. 
 
     
     
         17 . The method for cooling fluid of  claim 15  wherein said wire comprises a wire grid defined by a plurality of intersecting wires. 
     
     
         18 . The method for cooling fluid of  claim 15  wherein said wire comprises parallel wires positioned on a frame. 
     
     
         19 . The method for cooling fluid of  claim 14  wherein said vortex-inducing structure formed on said interior surface of said tube is a plurality of raised dimples. 
     
     
         20 . The method for cooling fluid of  claim 14  wherein said vortex-inducing structure formed on said interior surface of said tube is a plurality of grooves.