Heat exchanger with extruded cooling tubes

Abstract

A heat exchanger comprising an inlet chamber, an outlet chamber, and a plurality of flat tubes through which the fluid passes and is cooled by ambient air or coolant. The flat tubes are formed by extrusion and include internal fluid paths to promote cooling of the fluid passing within. The fluid paths, which are formed at the same time as the tubes, may include flanges to further promote the transfer of heat. Through the use of such extruded tubes with internal fluid paths, the need for a turbulator component commonly assembled into cooling tubes may be eliminated or minimized.

1 . An heat exchanger for use in a motor vehicle, the heat exchanger comprising a inlet chamber, an outlet chamber, a plurality of extruded metal flat tubes arranged in rows and connected between the inlet and outlet chambers, a plurality of fins disposed between the rows of tubes, and wherein each of the tubes includes a plurality of extruded fluid paths. 
   
   
       2 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein the flat tubes are oil cooling tubes. 
   
   
       3 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein the flat tubes are charge air cooling tubes. 
   
   
       4 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein the flat tubes are exhaust gas tubes. 
   
   
       5 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein the flat tubes are aluminum. 
   
   
       6 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein the transverse cross-section of each extruded fluid path within a tube is identical. 
   
   
       7 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein the transverse cross-section of at least one of the extruded fluid paths within a tube is different than the transverse cross-section of at least one of the other extruded fluid paths. 
   
   
       8 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein the transverse cross-section of at least one of the extruded fluid paths is rectangular. 
   
   
       9 . The heat exchanger of  claim 8 , wherein the transverse cross-section of at least one of the extruded fluid paths includes a plurality of flanges along at least one side. 
   
   
       10 . The heat exchanger of  claim 9 , wherein the transverse cross-section of at least one of the extruded fluid paths includes a plurality of flanges along a first side and a plurality of flanges along a second side. 
   
   
       11 . The heat exchanger of  claim 10 , wherein the plurality of flanges along the first side have the identical pattern to the plurality of flanges along the second side. 
   
   
       12 . The heat exchanger of  claim 8 , wherein the transverse cross-section of at least one of the extruded fluid paths includes a plurality of flanges along four sides. 
   
   
       13 . The heat exchanger of  claim 9 , wherein the dimension of the flanges along a first axis is in the range of about 10 percent to about 30 percent of the dimension of the at least one fluid path along the first axis. 
   
   
       14 . The heat exchanger of  claim 9 , wherein the dimension of the flanges along a second axis is in the range of about 50 percent to about 75 percent of the dimension of the at least one fluid path along the second axis. 
   
   
       15 . The oil-to-air heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein the transverse cross-section of at least one of the extruded aluminum fluid paths is oval. 
   
   
       16 . A heat exchanger for transferring heat, the heat exchanger comprising: a fluid inlet, a fluid outlet and a plurality of fluid flow paths extending between the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet, wherein each flow path is defined by an extruded tube that includes a plurality of extruded fluid sub-paths. 
   
   
       17 . An heat exchanger for use in a motor vehicle, the heat exchanger comprising:
 a first coolant loop comprising a first inlet, a first outlet, a first bundle of extruded flat tubes arranged in rows and connected between the first inlet and first outlet chambers, and a plurality of fins disposed between the rows of tubes, wherein each of the flat tubes in the first bundle include a plurality of extruded fluid paths;   a second coolant loop comprising a second inlet, a second outlet, a second bundle of extruded flat tubes arranged in rows and connected between the second inlet and second outlet chambers, and a plurality of fins disposed between the rows of tubes, wherein each of the flat tubes in the second bundle include a plurality of extruded fluid paths;   
   
   
       18 . The heat exchanger of  claim 17 , wherein the fluid paths in the first bundle are aluminum oil-cooling tubes. 
   
   
       19 . The heat exchanger of  claim 17 , wherein the fluid paths in the first bundle are air cooling fluid paths. 
   
   
       20 . The heat exchanger of  claim 17 , wherein the fluid paths in the first bundle are exhaust gas fluid paths. 
   
   
       21 . The heat exchanger of  claim 17 , wherein the fluid paths in the second bundle are aluminum coolant-cooling tubes. 
   
   
       22 . The heat exchanger of  claim 17 , wherein the transverse cross-section of each extruded fluid paths within a tube in the first and second bundle of tubes is identical. 
   
   
       23 . The heat exchanger of  claim 17 , wherein the transverse cross-section of at least one of the extruded fluid paths is rectangular. 
   
   
       24 . The heat exchanger of  claim 23 , wherein the transverse cross-section of at least one of the extruded fluid paths includes a plurality of flanges along at least one side.