Patent ID: 11938782
Assignee: DANA CANADA CORPORATION
Field: Thermal processes and apparatus (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC B  H  F | IPC B  F

Claim 16:
17. A heat exchanger, comprising:
(a) a fluid flow passage adapted for flow of a fluid, the fluid flow passage having an inlet and an outlet;
(b) a first plate and a second plate in opposed facing relation to one another, wherein each of the first plate and the second plate are thermally conductive, have an inner surface facing inwardly toward the fluid flow passage and an outer surface facing outwardly from the fluid flow passage, wherein the fluid flow passage is defined by a space between the inner surface of the first plate and the inner surface of the second plate;
(c) a first electrical heating element located outside the fluid flow passage and adjacent to the outer surface of the first plate, such that heat produced by the first electrical heating element is transferred through the first plate to the fluid in the fluid flow passage during use of the heat exchanger;
(d) a core comprising a plurality heat exchanger core plates and defining a plurality of first fluid flow passages and a plurality of second fluid flow passages, arranged in alternating order throughout the core;
wherein the first electrical heating element has a thickness between 1 μm and about 1000 μm;
wherein the first electrical heating element comprises an electrically insulating dielectric base layer which is closest to the outer surface of the first plate, and an electrically resistive heater layer on the dielectric base layer;
wherein the electrically insulating dielectric base layer comprises a thermally conductive, electrically insulating composite layer comprising a polymer mixed with a particulate filler material;
wherein the core includes a first fluid inlet manifold and a first fluid outlet manifold in flow communication with the plurality of first fluid flow passages and a second fluid inlet manifold and a second fluid outlet manifold in flow communication with the plurality of second fluid flow passages;
wherein the first plate of the heat exchanger includes said inlet and said outlet of the fluid flow passage, and
wherein the second plate of the heat exchanger is provided with a first fluid inlet manifold opening which is in flow communication with the first fluid inlet manifold and a first fluid outlet manifold opening which is in flow communication with the first fluid outlet manifold; and

(e) a thermal bypass valve arranged to selectively:
permit flow of the first fluid from the inlet to the fluid flow passage, while blocking flow of the first fluid from the inlet to the first fluid inlet manifold; and
at least partly block flow of the first fluid from the inlet to the fluid flow passage, while permitting flow of the first fluid from the inlet to the first fluid inlet manifold.