Non-prismatic heat exchanger construction

Abstract

A non-prismatic heat exchanger with a modular construction for use with an engine which utilizes a coolant fluid. The heat exchanger includes a pair of unitary, non-prismatic-shaped headers spaced from one another and connected by a plurality of unitary, extruded heat exchanger modules. The headers and modules enclose a rotary fan within the interior of the heat exchanger. The fan is mechanically driven by the engine to draw cooling air into the interior of the heat exchanger and to concurrently force the cooling air outwardly between the heat exchanger modules to thermally contact and remove heat from the heated coolant fluid flowing through the modules.

I claim:  
     
         1 . A non-prismatic heat exchanger comprising: 
 a pair of headers disposed on opposite sides of the heat exchanger, each header including a body having a curved shape, an inlet on one side of the body, at least one outlet spaced from the inlet, each body defining a center opening;    a plurality of unitary heat exchange modules interconnecting and providing fluid communication between the headers and surrounding the opening in each header to define a hollow interior within the heat exchanger, each module including at least one longitudinal throughbore extending the length of the module and in fluid communication with the headers at each end, and a plurality of slots defining heat transfer fins extending across the module perpendicular to the one throughbore; and    a rotor disposed within the hollow interior of the heat exchanger, the fan including a central shaft rotatably mounted to the headers at each end and a plurality of vanes connected to the shaft.    
     
     
         2 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1  wherein the headers are generally semicircular in shape.  
     
     
         3 . The heat exchanger of  claim 2  further comprising a panel secured to opposite ends of each header to enclose the opening in the headers.  
     
     
         4 . The heat exchanger of  claim 3  wherein the panel is generally semicylindrical in shape.  
     
     
         5 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1  wherein the headers are generally circular in shape.  
     
     
         6 . The heat exchanger of  claim 5  further comprising a collar disposed within the opening of each header and connected to the header by a number of supports, wherein the central shaft of the rotor is rotatably mounted to the collar.  
     
     
         7 . The heat exchanger of  claim 6  wherein the collar and the number of supports are integrally formed with the headers.  
     
     
         8 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1  wherein the slots are cut into opposite faces of each module to define the fins.  
     
     
         9 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein the modules are provided with a plurality of grooves extending along each face of the module parallel to the throughbores, such that the slots define the toothed fins.  
     
     
         10 . The heat exchanger of  claim 9  wherein the grooves are generally V-shaped.  
     
     
         11 . The heat exchanger of  claim 9  wherein adjacent modules include fins that are offset from one another such that fins on one of the adjacent modules are insertable into the slots on the other of the adjacent modules.  
     
     
         12 . The heat exchanger of  claim 2  wherein the headers each include a pair of semi-circular hollow bodies that are connected by a pair of header extensions at each end.  
     
     
         13 . The heat exchanger of  claim 5  wherein the header is formed of a pair of semi-circular headers secured to one another at opposite ends.  
     
     
         14 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1  wherein the vanes are disposed on the fan along radial lines extending from the shaft.  
     
     
         15 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1  wherein the vanes are disposed on the fan in a helical configuration.