Abstract:
The invention relates to a heat exchanger, particularly for a motor vehicle, comprising a plurality of exchanger tubes ( 3 ) attached to at least one floor for conveying a first fluid, wherein the exchanger tubes ( 3 ) are disposed in a housing through which a second fluid flows, wherein a holding member ( 5 ) is disposed inside the housing, wherein at least two of the exchanger tubes ( 3 ) are supported relative to one another by means of the holding member ( 5 ).

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a heat exchanger, particularly for a motor vehicle. 
     From the construction of heat exchangers for motor vehicles, here particularly in the field of the indirect cooling of recycled exhaust gas or charge air by a liquid coolant, tube-bundle heat exchangers are known in which a bundle of exchanger tubes, extending parallel at least in places, are fed through a housing through which a coolant flows. Owing to mechanical vibration and the pulsed gas flow, such heat exchangers are subject to significant vibrations. With a corresponding length of the exchanger tubes, strong loads due to vibration occur in the region where the tubes are fastened on a base of the heat exchanger. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the invention to provide a heat exchanger which is particularly stable in respect of mechanical vibrations. 
     For a heat exchanger as mentioned in the introduction, this object is achieved according to the invention disclosed herein. Owing to the mutual bracing of at least two of the exchanger tubes by means of the holding member, vibrations of the tubes which occur are avoided or at least dampened by the increased mechanical stiffness. The bracing by the holding member in the context of the invention takes place at a distance from a base of the heat exchanger, in which the tubes open. 
     The heat exchanger is particularly advantageously an exhaust gas cooler for cooling recycled exhaust gas of a combustion engine. At least one of the exchanger tubes may in particular be formed as a press-drawn section, in particular based on aluminum. It has been found that aluminum press-drawn sections are surprisingly corrosion-resistant against the hot exhaust gases and the acidic condensate formed when cooling. On the other hand, aluminum press-drawn sections can be produced well, which allows economical mass production of exhaust gas coolers for motor vehicles. In this application, it should be borne in mind that the corrosion-resistant properties of aluminum press-drawn sections are probably due to the heat treatment during press drawing and therefore the formation of a specific crystal structure of the material. During production of such an exhaust gas heat exchanger, it is therefore generally expedient to avoid heating the press-drawn sections to high temperatures, for example by soldering in a soldering furnace, after pre-assembly of the heat exchanger, so as not to modify the corrosion-resistant crystal structure. Rather, in the general case the press-drawn sections will be soldered or welded to the base of the heat exchanger only by local heat input, for example by means of laser welding and/or laser soldering. 
     In a particularly preferred embodiment, the exchanger tubes are curved essentially in a U-shape and, in particular, are respectively fastened with an inlet end and an outlet end on the same base. This provides a layout according to a U-flow heat exchanger with press-drawn sections bent in a U-shape. Optimization of the flow of the second fluid inside the housing is particularly important for this heat-exchanger layout, and suitable configuration of the holding member can contribute to optimization of the flow process. 
     It is generally advantageous for the holding member to be fixed at least partially by spring-elastic means, particularly in the manner of a clip. In this way, the holding member can be mounted simply and rapidly. As an alternative or in addition to spring-elastic and/or clamping fixation, a material-fit fixation may however also be provided, for example by means of welding or adhesive bonding. 
     Furthermore, the holding member may preferably comprise at least two holding member parts. In this case, the holding member particularly preferably has a first, central holding member part and at least one, particularly at least two outer holding member parts respectively adjacent thereto. The first holding member part may be arranged between two rows of exchanger tubes, in which case the outer holding member parts may be fixed on the central holding member part by a resilient fastening means, for example in the manner of clip fastening. To simplify and reduce the costs of producing and storing the components, some of the holding member parts, for example the two outer parts, may be formed as identical parts. Advantageously, a web extending transversely to the exchanger tubes is formed on at least one of the holding member parts. Such a web may engage over a plurality of exchanger tubes and, for example, brace them against one another by appendages formed on it and projecting between neighboring exchanger tubes. 
     In another alternative or supplementary embodiment, the holding member is directly adjacent to the base. In this way, the holding member can delimit flow regions on the base in respect of the flow of the second fluid, so that both an inlet and an outlet for the second fluid can be arranged in the immediate vicinity of the base without a short circuit of the flow of the second fluid taking place. In an alternative embodiment, however, a distance may deliberately be provided between the holding member and the base, with a connection for the second fluid being arranged in the vicinity of the base. The incoming or outgoing fluid is thereby distributed over the entire width of the base, without the holding member standing in the way of its flow. In such an embodiment, a corresponding second connection will generally be arranged in the region of an end of the housing on the opposite side from the base. 
     In a particularly preferred embodiment, the holding member consists essentially of plastic so that even complicated shapes of the holding member can be produced simply, economically and while saving on weight. Different holding member parts may then be connected to one another, for example by film hinges, in order to further simplify assembly. The formation of resiliently fastening undercuts in the manner of clips for fixing different parts of the holding member to one another is also particularly easy to carry out in a configuration made of plastic. In particular polyamide, for example PA6 or PA6.6, is suitable as a robust and thermally stable plastic. The properties of the plastic may be optimized in a known fashion by adding fibers or mineral substances. 
     In a preferred refinement of the invention, the holding members are formed so that, owing to their geometrical configuration, they can also be used as cassetting aids to connect the tubes for the connecting process carried out after cassetting. In particular, the holding member has the grid dimension or hole pattern of the base, so as to provide pre-centering of the tube or tube pack for connecting in the base. 
     In a preferred configuration of the invention, the holding member and the tubes are integrally connected to one another after assembly, so as to provide simpler handling for the subsequent assembly and/or manufacturing processes. 
     In an alternative embodiment, the holding member may also be formed essentially as a sheet-metal shaped part. In such a configuration, in order to achieve a particular mechanical strength, at least one part of the holding member may be connected to at least one of the exchanger tubes by a material fit, in particular by means of soldering. To this end, for example, the exchanger tubes and/or holding member may comprise solder plating, in which case a cassetted or preassembled module consisting of a plurality of individual parts may be soldered in a soldering furnace. 
     In order to optimize the flow of the second fluid around the exchanger tubes, the holding member may advantageously at least partially occupy a region of space between the exchanger tubes. Such a region of space, particularly when the heat exchanger is formed as a U-flow heat exchanger, may be arranged between the limbs of an inner one of the exchanger tubes extending in a U-shape. These design-related free regions of space generally cause an undesired flow of the second fluid, which with an unfavorable configuration may lead to a short circuit between the inlet and the outlet of the second fluid. By appropriate configuration of the holding member to block or fill such unfavorable regions of space, the flow through the housing and flow around the exchanger tubes inside the housing can be improved considerably. 
     In another alternative embodiment of the invention, the holding member comprises a multiplicity of pins projecting between neighboring exchanger tubes. Such a configuration of a holding member can be produced simply and economically. 
     As an alternative or in addition, the holding member may comprise a multiplicity of bent fasteners projecting between neighboring exchanger tubes. 
     In another alternative or supplementary embodiment, the holding member may be formed as sheet-metal strips having a multiplicity of bead-like protuberances, with the bead-like protuberances projecting between neighboring exchanger tubes. 
     Again as an alternative or in addition, the holding member may be formed as a plate part, extending essentially perpendicularly to the exchanger tubes, having apertures through which the exchanger tubes engage. 
     The holding member may also be a prismatic elongate body, which is formed in particular as a press-drawn section. Such a press-drawn section may, for example, be pressed in and held spring-elastically between the limbs of an exchanger tube bent in a U-shape. 
     In another suitable embodiment, the holding member may comprise a hollow body composed of at least two sheet-metal shaped parts. With a corresponding configuration, such a hollow body is particularly suitable for favorably influencing the flow paths of the second fluid. For example, a cavity existing between parallel limbs of a U-shaped exchanger tube may be filled by such a hollow body. 
     It is generally advantageous for the holding member to be braced against the housing. Vibrations can be avoided particularly reliably in this way, since in the end a force fit is formed between the exchanger tubes and the housing wall. 
     Particularly advantageously, the holding member extends at least in places in a gap between the housing and the exchanger tubes. The region between the housing and the outermost exchanger tubes is often critical in respect of an undesired flow of the second fluid. This applies in particular for cast housings which, owing to their production process, by their very nature have a slightly conical profile of the housing wall for releasability from the casting core. The gap between the housing wall and the exchanger tubes will therefore generally have a variable size, so that the holding member can in particular extend in an especially wide gap region in order to reduce a flow of fluid through this gap region, which is ineffective for the exchanger performance. 
     Other advantages and features may be found in the exemplary embodiments described below and in the dependent claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Several preferred exemplary embodiments of the invention will be described below and explained in more detail with the aid of the appended drawings. 
         FIG. 1  shows a spatial view of a first exemplary embodiment of a heat exchanger according to the invention. 
         FIG. 2  shows the heat exchanger of  FIG. 1  in another perspective. 
         FIG. 3  shows a first holding member part of the heat exchanger of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  shows a second holding member part of the heat exchanger of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 5  shows a spatial view of a holding member of another exemplary embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 6  shows a view of a part of the holding member of  FIG. 5 . 
         FIG. 7  shows a variant of the holding member of  FIG. 5 . 
         FIG. 8  shows another embodiment of a heat exchanger according to the invention with a holding member. 
         FIG. 9  shows another embodiment of a heat exchanger with a holding member. 
         FIG. 10  shows a variant of the heat exchanger with a holding member of  FIG. 9 . 
         FIG. 11  to  FIG. 13  respectively show other embodiments of a heat exchanger according to the invention with a holding member. 
         FIG. 14  shows a spatial representation of another exemplary embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 15  shows a holding member of the embodiment of  FIG. 14 . 
         FIG. 16  shows another exemplary embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 17  shows a holding member of the embodiment of  FIG. 16 . 
         FIG. 18  shows another exemplary embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 19  shows the heat exchanger of  FIG. 18  with the omission of a row of exchanger tubes. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The heat exchanger according to the invention, as shown in  FIG. 1 , is an exhaust gas heat exchanger for the indirect liquid-cooled cooling of exhaust gas recycled for pollution abatement from a combustion engine of a motor vehicle. The heat exchanger is configured as a U-flow heat exchanger and has a first row  1  and a second row  2 , parallel thereto, of exchanger tubes  3 . Each of the rows  1 ,  2  of exchanger tubes  3  comprises three exchanger tubes bent in a U-shape and nested in one another, i.e. respectively an outer exchanger tube  3   a , an inner exchanger tube with the smallest bending radius  3   b  and a central exchanger tube  3   c  extending between the two exchanger tubes  3   a ,  3   b . In total, the heat exchanger therefore comprises six exchanger tubes respectively bent in a U-shape. 
     All the ends of the exchanger tubes  3  lie in a plane and open in a base  4  of the heat exchanger. In the region when they open into the base  4 , they are connected by means of a local connecting method, in particular by means of welding, for example by means of laser welding. 
     The exchanger tubes  3  are respectively formed as press-drawn sections made of an aluminum alloy, and the base  4  also consists of aluminum. The exchanger tubes  3  have an elongate cross section in the manner of a flat tube, and they are subdivided into a plurality of chambers by webs (see for instance  FIG. 8 ). 
     The bundle of exchanger tubes  3  is arranged in a housing (not shown), the base  4  being fastened tightly on the housing by means of screw holes  4   a  in the manner of a flange. In the housing, in the vicinity of the base  4 , there is a first connection for the second fluid, i.e. a liquid coolant for flowing around the exchanger tubes  3  conveying exhaust gas. The other connection for the coolant lies on the part of the housing on the opposite side from the base  4 , i.e. in the region of the bends of the exchanger tubes. 
     For mechanical stabilization, and in order to optimize the flow paths of the coolant, a holding member  5  is arranged between the exchanger tubes  3 . The holding member  5  consists of a glass fiber-reinforced plastic, in the present case of a polyamide. The inner exchanger tubes  3   b  enclose by their two limbs a region of space  6  which is partially filled by the holding member  5 . This prevents a considerable fraction of the flow of the liquid coolant from traveling through the region of space  6  instead of flowing around the walls of the exchanger tubes  3 . 
     The holding member  5  consists of a first, central holding member part  7  and a second and identical third holding member part  8  (see  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 4 ). The two rows  1 ,  2  of exchanger tubes  3  are placed on each side of the central holding member part  7  during assembly of the heat exchanger. In order to position them, webs  7   a ,  7   b  which extend essentially perpendicularly to the exchanger tubes are provided on the central holding member part  7 . Appendages  9 , which position the exchanger tubes  3  and brace them against one another by projecting into the intermediate spaces between the exchanger tubes  3 , are formed on the webs  7   a ,  7   b.    
     The central holding member part  7  also has cylindrical fastening means  10 ,  11 , each of which comprises a spring lug  10   a ,  11   a , extending level with the webs  7   a ,  7   b  on both sides of a plate-shaped base. 
     After placing the two rows of exchanger tubes  1 ,  2  respectively on one side of the central holding member  7  by form-fit engagement with the appendages  9 , the outer holding member parts  8  are placed externally on the bundles of exchanger tubes  3 . To this end, the outer holding member parts  8  respectively have hollow cylindrical apertures  8   a ,  8   b  into which the cylindrical appendages  10 ,  11  of the central holding member part  7  engage, with the spring lugs  10   a ,  11   a  interlocking with an undercut. In this way, the holding member parts  7 ,  8  are fixed to one another in the manner of a clip. 
     The outer holding member parts  8  are formed in their central region as extended bodies which partially fill the region of space  6 , a hollow chamber grid structure  8   c  being provided in order to save on weight and material. 
     Two webs  12 ,  13 , aligned perpendicularly to the exchanger tubes, are likewise formed on the outside holding member parts  8 . The webs  12 ,  13 , in a similar way to the webs  7   a ,  7   b  of the central holding member part, have appendages  14 ,  15  for form-fit engagement and to brace the exchanger tubes  3 . 
     The web  12 , closer to the base  4 , of the outer holding member part  8  also has externally enclosing extensions  12   a  which, in the assembled state (see  FIG. 1 ), form a circumferential engagement of the bundle of exchanger tubes  3 . Owing to this circumferential engagement, a gap between the exchanger tubes  3  and the housing can be reduced, particularly in the vicinity of the base  4 . This is expedient in particular when the housing is formed as a cast part and/or has a certain production-related conicity of its walls, so that the gap between the exchanger tubes  3  and the housing is particularly large in the vicinity of the base  4 . In this way, an undesired excessive flow through this region of space can be reduced or avoided by the enclosing web  12 . On the central body of the outer holding member part  8 , a plurality of appendages  8   d , preferably of elongate shape, are also arranged on the surface facing toward the inner exchanger tube  3   b , so that the body is placed clamped between the limbs of the inner exchanger tube  3   b.    
     The holding member  5  also has a multiplicity of support plates  16  (see  FIG. 3 ), by which it is braced against the housing, on its outermost extensions. Overall, the bundle of exchanger tubes  3  is prevented by the holding member  5  from movement of the exchanger tubes with respect to one another and from movement of the exchanger tubes relative to the housing. 
     The holding member  5  also serves for simple assembly of the heat exchanger by initially allowing alignment and preassembly of the bundle of exchanger tubes  3 . After the bundle of exchanger tubes  3  has been preassembled and aligned by the holding member  5 , the base  4  is placed on the bundle of exchanger tubes  3  and locally welded. 
     In a variant of the embodiment described above, at least two of the holding member parts  7 ,  8  may also be formed integrally, for example by joining them to one another by film hinges. In this way, assembly is further simplified. 
     Another embodiment of the invention is represented in  FIG. 5 . The bundle of exchanger tubes, and its arrangement relative to the base  4  and the housing (not shown), is identical in all the exemplary embodiments described, so that in part only the holding members configured differently depending on the exemplary embodiment are represented.  FIG. 5  shows such a holding member constructed from sheet-metal shaped parts. It comprises a hollow body  18  constructed from two sheet-metal shaped parts  17  (see  FIG. 6 ), a web  19  constructed from two shaped sheet-metal strips being arranged between the two sheet-metal shaped parts  17  in the region of grooves provided for this. Similarly as in the first exemplary embodiment, the web  19  extends perpendicularly to the lengthwise direction of the exchanger tubes  3 , and has appendages  19   a  which correspond with the exchanger tubes and project into the region between two neighboring exchanger tubes for the purpose of bracing them against one another. 
     The hollow body  18  also has a circumferential, protruding edge  18   a , which projects between the respective inner exchanger tubes  3   b  of the rows  1 ,  2  and braces these two exchanger tubes against one another. 
     The hollow body  18  also has a spacer  20 , which extends in the region of the bend of the exchanger tubes  3 , is braced against the housing wall and ensures a defined gap between an end face  21  of the hollow body  18  and the inner face of the inner exchanger tube  3   b.    
     The sheet-metal shaped parts shown may in particular be plated with solder, so that they can be soldered flat to the exchanger tubes by heating in a soldering furnace in the preassembled state. Other material-fit joints, for instance adhesive bonding, may be envisaged at least for the purpose of assembling the heat exchanger. 
       FIG. 7  shows a variant of the embodiment according to  FIG. 5 , where in contrast to the configuration according to  FIG. 5  the web  19  is formed as a more strongly bent sheet-metal shaped part provided with folded beads  19   b . The appendages formed by the beads  19   b  can project further between the neighboring exchanger tubes and thus ensure better bracing of the exchanger tubes against one another. 
     The exemplary embodiment according to  FIG. 8  shows a web  19  formed similarly as in the exemplary embodiment according to  FIG. 7 , which also has a bulging waist  19   c  in the central region of space  6 . With this bulging waist  19   c , it can for example externally enclose a hollow body  18  according to  FIG. 5  or  FIG. 7 . 
     The exemplary embodiment according to  FIG. 9  shows a sheet-metal strip  21 , which is provided with bead-like appendages  20  and rests on a pack of exchanger tubes  3 , the appendages  20  projecting between the exchanger tubes and bracing them against one another. In  FIG. 10 , two of the sheet-metal strips  21  are placed inverted on one another so that the holding member  5  formed overall by this has a bracing effect on two superimposed rows of exchanger tubes  3 . The sheet-metal strips  21  may respectively be soldered to the exchanger tubes or only held by clamping. 
     In the exemplary embodiment according to  FIG. 11 , the holding member  5  is formed as a sheet-metal shaped part having a multiplicity of bent fasteners  22 , the fasteners  22  respectively engaging into the intermediate spaces of neighboring exchanger tubes  3  and thus bracing the exchanger tubes against one another. 
       FIG. 12  shows a sheet-metal shaped part  23 , produced for example by deep drawing, by which a holding member  5  in the context of the invention is likewise formed. The sheet-metal shaped part  23  engages with appendages  23   a  between the housing wall and the outer exchanger tube, or between two neighboring exchanger tubes  3 . The sheet-metal shaped part  23  is braced by a rear side  23   b  facing toward the housing and likewise braced against it. 
       FIG. 13  shows an embodiment of the invention in which the holding member  5  is formed as a portion of a deep-drawn section, or as a prismatic body. By sufficiently thin formation of its walls and the provision of corresponding wall appendages  24 , the holding member  5  can be placed clamped between the two limbs of the inner exchanger tube bent in a U-shape. In this case, on the one hand it acts to inhibit vibration and on the other hand blockage of the central region of space  6  can readily be achieved in respect of liquid coolant flowing through. 
       FIGS. 14 and 15  show another embodiment, in which the holding member  5  is formed as a sheet-metal shaped part with bent fasteners  25 , the fasteners  25  projecting between neighboring exchanger tubes  3  and bracing them against one another. The sheet-metal shaped part  5  according to  FIGS. 14 and 15  can be produced particularly simply and economically, for example by means of stamping. 
     In the exemplary embodiment according to  FIG. 16  and  FIG. 17 , the holding member  5  is formed as a plate body having apertures  26 , with the exchanger tubes  3  engaging through the apertures  26 . The holding member  5  furthermore has first recesses  27  for passage of the coolant. These apertures ensure that the coolant can flow through the holding member along the exchanger tubes  3 , and as far as possible the coolant also flows around the exchanger tubes in the region where they are held by means of the holding member. 
     The holding member  5  furthermore has second recesses  28  in the region of the holding member  5 , in which the holding member is braced, in particular on the housing (not represented). The effect of these recesses  28  is that the coolant can flow essentially unimpeded along the housing wall, so that the housing wall is cooled optimally. 
     In the exemplary embodiment according to  FIG. 18  and  FIG. 19 , the holding member  5  is formed as a sheet-metal plate having a multiplicity of pins or bolts  26  which engage perpendicularly through the sheet-metal plate. The sheet-metal plate is placed between the neighboring rows  1 ,  2  of exchanger tubes, the perpendicularly extending pins  26  projecting into the intermediate spaces between the nested exchanger tubes  3   a ,  3   b ,  3   c  and thus ensuring mutual bracing of the exchanger tubes.