Automotive heat exchangers having strengthened fins and methods of making the same

Abstract

Automotive heat exchanger assemblies that can withstand high environmental temperature and pressures conditions are described. By providing for a strengthened fin in contact with the tubes at the areas of highest stress, the heat exchanger assembly is strengthened to be efficient under actual operating conditions.

1 . A heat exchanger assembly comprising: 
 a first end tank;    a second end tank opposite the first end tank;    a plurality of tubes in fluid communication with the first and second end tanks, at least one tube of the plurality of tubes adapted to have a fluid flow therethrough;    at least one strengthened fin; and    at least one conventional fin;    wherein the at least one conventional fin abuts or contacts at least two of the plurality of tubes, and wherein the at least one strengthened fin abuts or contacts the at least two of the plurality of tubes.    
   
   
       2 . A heat exchanger assembly as in  claim 1 , further comprising at least one header, wherein the heat exchanger assembly is brazed.  
   
   
       3 . A heat exchanger assembly as in  claim 2 , wherein at least one tube and at least one header contact each other at an area to thereby form a tube to header joint.  
   
   
       4 . A heat exchanger assembly as in  claim 2  further comprising an inlet and outlet adapted to have a fluid flow therethrough and wherein the strengthened fin is positioned between the at least two tubes of the plurality of tubes.  
   
   
       5 . A heat exchanger assembly as in  claim 4  wherein the strengthened fin and tube overall thickness at the point of contact or abutment of the strengthened fin and a tube is approximately equal to or greater than to the thickness of the tube at areas outside of the area of contact between the strengthened fin and the tube.  
   
   
       6 . A heat exchanger assembly as in  claim 3  wherein at least one strengthened fin and at least one tube abut or contact one another at the area of the header joint, and the tube overall thickness at the point of the header joint is greater than or equal to the thickness of the tube at areas outside of the area of contact between the fin and tube.  
   
   
       7 . A heat exchanger assembly as in  claim 2 , wherein the heat exchanger is a WCCAC, CAP, or other high temperature aluminum heat exchanger and the at least one strengthened fin is approximately 5 times thicker than the at least one conventional fin.  
   
   
       8 . A heat exchanger assembly as in  claim 2 , wherein the heat exchanger is a WCCAC, CAP, or other high temperature aluminum heat exchanger and the at least one strengthened fin is less than or equal to 3 times the wall thickness of a tube.  
   
   
       9 . A heat exchanger assembly as in  claim 4 , wherein the at least one strengthened fin is from about 0.1 to 1.0 mm in thickness, and the heat exchanger is a WCCAC, CAP, or other high temperature aluminum heat exchanger.  
   
   
       10 . A heat exchanger assembly as in  claim 6 , wherein at least one strengthened fin is from about 0.20 to 0.60 mm in thickness, and the heat exchanger is a WCCAC, CAP, or other high temperature aluminum heat exchanger.  
   
   
       11 . A heat exchanger assembly as in  claim 1 , wherein the tubes, conventional fins and strengthened fins are brazed.  
   
   
       12 . A heat exchanger assembly as in  claim 4 , wherein the inlet is a coolant inlet, the fluid is a coolant, and coolant inlet is arranged to allow fluid flow into the heat exchanger and through at least one of the plurality of tubes adapted to have a fluid flow therethrough, and wherein the heat exchanger assembly comprises a multi-pass heat exchanger of more than one flow pass.  
   
   
       13 . A heat exchanger assembly as in  claim 3 , wherein the at least one strengthened fin is brazed to the header, and the assembly comprises a heat exchanger having more than one coolant flow pass.  
   
   
       14 . A heat exchanger assembly, as in  claim 1 , having at least two or more strengthened fins and at least one conventional fin, wherein charge air flows through or by the fins and wherein the temperature of the charge air that flows through or by the strengthened fins is greater than or equal to 220° C.  
   
   
       15 . A heat exchanger assembly, as in  claim 14 , wherein the thickness of the strengthened fin is between about 0.1 to 1 mm, and the heat exchanger assembly comprises a WCCAC, CAP, or other high temperature aluminum heat exchanger.  
   
   
       16 . A heat exchanger assembly as in  claim 14 , wherein the heat exchanger is a turbo charger after cooler, charge air cooler, or EGR cooler.  
   
   
       17 . A heat exchanger assembly as in  claim 2 , wherein the strengthened fin and at least one tube physically contact each other and form a braze joint, and the overall thickness at the braze joint is approximately equal to or greater than the thickness of the tube at areas outside of the area of braze joint between the strengthened fin and the tube.  
   
   
       18 . A heat exchanger assembly as in  claim 17 , wherein the at least one tube and the at least one header contact each other to form a brazed tube to header joint.  
   
   
       19 . A heat exchanger assembly as in  claim 18 , wherein thickness of the strengthened fin is about 3 to about 6 times the thickness of the conventional fin.  
   
   
       20 . A method of making a heat exchanger useful in high temperature environments having a plurality of tubes, tanks, at least one header and strengthened fin and conventional fin comprising: 
 assembling strengthened fins and tubes into a core block or blocks;    locating a strengthened fin or fins at the area of a tube or tubes to form at least one tube to header joint;    contacting a conventional fin or fins and tube or tubes into another core block or blocks;    brazing the tubes to the headers; and,    attaching the tanks,    so as to form a heat exchanger assembly.