Heat exchange device

Abstract

The invention relates to a heat exchange device characterized by a particular configuration of the liquid inlet or outlet manifold in which it incorporates a baffle formed from the shell itself. This configuration allows not only suitably orient the inflow into regions of the tube bundle of the exchanger where convection must be more intense, but also allows generating a flow suitable for reaching all the regions having a higher convective heat transfer requirement. Configuring a baffle from the shell prevents incorporating and manufacturing specific additional parts, as well as the additional operations required for their configuration and attachment to the heat exchanger.

1 . A heat exchange device for the transfer of heat between a first fluid ( 11 ), a hot fluid, and a second fluid ( 12 ), a cold fluid, wherein said heat exchanger comprises:
 a heat exchange tube bundle ( 5 ) extending according to a longitudinal direction (X-X′) between an inlet (I) for the first fluid into the tube bundle and an outlet (O) for the first fluid from the tube bundle, wherein the heat exchange tube bundle ( 5 ) is intended for driving the flow of the first fluid ( 11 ),   a shell ( 6 ) housing the heat exchange tube bundle ( 5 ) and extending according to the longitudinal direction (X-X′) at least between the inlet (I) for the first fluid and the outlet (O) for the first fluid, wherein the shell ( 6 ) is intended for driving the second fluid ( 12 ) through the space defined between the tubes of the heat exchange tube bundle ( 5 ) and the shell ( 6 ),   a tubular inlet segment ( 7 ) for the entry of the second fluid ( 12 ) into the shell ( 6 ) and a tubular outlet segment ( 8 ) for the exit of the second fluid ( 12 ) from inside the shell ( 6 ),   
       wherein
 the exchanger comprises at least one first manifold ( 3 ,  4 ) located, according to the longitudinal direction (X-X′), close to either the inlet (I) for the first fluid or else the outlet (O) for the first fluid, and positioned:
 either between the first tubular inlet segment ( 7 ) and the shell ( 6 ), 
 between the second tubular outlet segment ( 8 ) and the shell ( 6 ), 
 or else in both locations; 
 
 the shell ( 6 ) has a slot ( 6 . 2 ) for the passage of the second fluid ( 12 ) between the inside of the first manifold ( 3 ,  4 ) and the inside of the shell ( 6 ) in which the tube bundle of the heat exchanger ( 5 ) is housed, this slot ( 6 . 2 ) being spaced from the corresponding inlet/outlet (I, O) for the first fluid in which said first manifold ( 3 ,  4 ) is located, 
 the shell ( 6 ) has an extension ( 6 . 1 ) into the first manifold ( 3 ,  4 ) such that this prolongation ( 6 . 1 ) establishes a partial closure in the fluidic communication between the inside of the first manifold ( 3 ,  4 ) and the inside of the shell ( 6 ) in which the tube bundle of the heat exchanger ( 5 ) is housed. 
 
     
     
         2 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein the extension ( 6 . 1 ) is positioned such that is at least partially interposed in the path of the flow driven in the operating mode through the tubular inlet/outlet segment ( 7 ,  8 ) attached to the first manifold ( 3 ,  4 ). 
     
     
         3 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein the first manifold ( 3 ,  4 ) has a base ( 3 . 1 ,  4 . 1 ) intended for being supported on the shell ( 6 ), wherein said base ( 3 . 1 ,  4 . 1 ) has:
 an essentially triangular configuration with a larger side and two smaller sides, with the vertexes of the triangular configuration being rounded,   the larger side is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (X-X′) and is located on the side corresponding to the inlet/outlet (I, O) for the first fluid in which the at least one first manifold ( 3 ,  4 ) is located, and   the vertex opposite this larger side is where at least the extension ( 6 . 1 ) of the shell ( 6 ) into the first manifold ( 3 ,  4 ) is located.   
     
     
         4 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein the first manifold ( 3 ,  4 ) has a base ( 3 . 1 ,  4 . 1 ) intended for being supported on the shell ( 6 ), wherein said base ( 3 . 1 ,  4 . 1 ):
 has an essentially elongated configuration according to a main direction,   has rounded ends, and   the main direction along which it extends is essentially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (X-X′).   
     
     
         5 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein the slot ( 6 . 2 ) has an essentially elongated configuration according to a main direction and has a variable width. 
     
     
         6 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 5 , wherein the slot ( 6 . 2 ) has an essentially elongated configuration according to a main direction and has a width decreasing from one end to the opposite end. 
     
     
         7 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein the first tubular segment ( 7 ), the second tubular segment ( 8 ) or both tubular inlet/out segments ( 7 ,  8 ) are inclined with respect to the surface of the shell ( 6 ) on which they are fixed by means of the first manifold ( 3 ,  4 ). 
     
     
         8 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein the first tubular segment ( 7 ), the second tubular segment ( 8 ) or both tubular inlet/out segments ( 7 ,  8 ) are inclined towards the end of the wider slot. 
     
     
         9 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein the first tubular segment ( 7 ) and the second tubular segment ( 8 ) are located off-center with respect to the central longitudinal axis and on opposite sides, and wherein at least the tubular segment ( 7 ,  8 ) located in the first manifold ( 3 ,  4 ) internally provided with a slot ( 6 . 2 ) having a variable width is off-center towards the end of the wider slot. 
     
     
         10 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein the region of the shell ( 6 ) on which the second manifold ( 9 ,  10 ) is supported and forms the extension ( 6 . 1 ) is in the form of an expansion ( 6 . 4 ), increasing the space inside the shell ( 6 ). 
     
     
         11 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein the first manifold ( 3 ,  4 ) has a base ( 3 . 1 ,  4 . 1 ) intended for being supported on the shell ( 6 ) formed either by means of a perimetral flange or else by means of a supporting edge. 
     
     
         12 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , additionally comprising:
 a second inlet manifold ( 9 ) for the first fluid ( 11 ) located on the side of the inlet (I) for the entry of the first fluid into the tube bundle and configured such that in the operating mode, the first fluid ( 11 ) entering through an inlet opening ( 9 . 1 ) of said manifold ( 9 ) is driven into the tubes of the heat exchange tube bundle ( 5 ),   a second outlet manifold ( 10 ) for the first fluid ( 11 ) located on the side of the outlet (O) for the exit of the first fluid from the tube bundle and configured such that, in the operating mode, the first fluid ( 11 ) exiting from the inside of the tubes of the heat exchange tube bundle ( 5 ) is driven to an outlet opening ( 4 . 1 ) of said manifold ( 4 ).   
     
     
         13 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein the first manifold ( 3 ,  4 ) and the second manifold ( 9 ,  10 ) arranged at the same end according to the longitudinal direction (X-X′) are configured in a single part. 
     
     
         14 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein the shell ( 6 ) is configured in at least two U-shaped parts and attached to one another through the legs of the U. 
     
     
         15 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein the shell ( 6 ) shows two extensions overlapping one another wherein:
 the outer extension, the inner extension or both is/are configured such that both extensions are spaced from one another configuring the first manifold ( 3 ),   at least in the perimetral region of the first manifold ( 3 ) the two extensions of the shell ( 6 ) are attached to one another; and   the first tubular inlet segment ( 7 ) or the second tubular outlet segment ( 8 ) is in fluidic communication with the first manifold ( 3 ).   
     
     
         16 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 15 , wherein the region of the two extensions overlapping and spaced from one another extends between two adjacent faces of the shell ( 6 ). 
     
     
         17 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 15 , wherein the access:
 either of the tubular inlet segment ( 7 ) in fluidic communication with the first manifold ( 3 ),   or else of the tubular outlet segment ( 8 ) in fluidic communication with the first manifold ( 4 ),   or both,   
       are spaced from their corresponding slot ( 6 . 2 ) according to the longitudinal direction X-X′ such that the extension ( 6 . 1 ) and the first manifold ( 3 ) define a channel for the passage of the second fluid ( 12 ). 
     
     
         18 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein a region of the extension ( 6 . 1 ) surrounding the slot ( 6 . 2 ) shows a deformation to deflect the flow of the second fluid ( 12 ) passing through said slot ( 6 . 2 ). 
     
     
         19 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , configured in two passages additionally comprising:
 a wall ( 6 . 5 ) for establishing two chambers separating the tubes of the tube bundle into two groups, wherein the slot ( 6 . 2 ) of the first inlet manifold ( 3 ) is in fluidic communication with one of the chambers and the slot ( 6 . 2 ) of the first outlet manifold ( 4 ) is in fluidic communication with the other chamber;   a direction-changing manifold ( 13 ) for putting the outlet of the tubes of the first group of tubes in fluidic communication with the inlet of the tubes of the second group of tubes.   
     
     
         20 . An EGR or energy recovery system for a vehicle with an internal combustion engine comprising a heat exchanger according to  claim 1 .