Patent ID: 7753105
Filing Date: 2010-07-13
Classification: B60H,F28D,F28F

Abstract:
1. The thermal management system for a vehicle, said system comprising: a Heating Ventilating Air Conditioning (HVAC) unit including a radiator for removing heat from a liquid coolant and further including a condenser circulating a refrigerant therethrough and in fluid communication with said radiator for circulating the liquid coolant through said condenser to remove heat from the refrigerant; an engine having a pump in fluid communication with said radiator for circulating the liquid coolant through said radiator; said condenser comprising: a plurality of plates including a plurality of first plates and a plurality of second plates stacked in alternating relationship relative to said plurality of first plates with each of said plurality of second plates sandwiched between a pair of said plurality of first plates; said plurality of plates each including a first end defining an inlet chamber for receiving the liquid coolant and further including a second end defining an outlet chamber for discharging the liquid coolant; said plurality of plates each defining at least one inlet passage disposed adjacent said inlet chamber near said first end of said plurality of plates for receiving the refrigerant and each of said plurality of plates further defining at least one outlet passage disposed adjacent said outlet chamber near said second end of said plurality of plates for discharging the refrigerant; said plurality of plates cooperating together to define a refrigerant path in fluid communication with said at least one inlet passage and said at least on outlet passage for circulating the refrigerant therethrough and further defining a coolant path separate from said refrigerant path and in fluid communication with said inlet chamber and said outlet chamber for circulating the liquid coolant therethrough; and a heat exchanger disposed within said outlet chamber of said condenser and in fluid communication with said engine for circulating an engine oil from said engine through said heat exchanger to transfer heat from the engine oil to the liquid coolant as the liquid coolant circulates through said outlet chamber.