Heat exchanger assembly and method

Abstract

A heat exchanger assembly and method of servicing is described and illustrated, and in some embodiments includes a pair of core units in an end-to-end arrangement, and a fluid tank arranged between the core units. Each core unit includes air fins arranged in parallel with one another and spaced apart in a core stacking direction, and parallel arranged fluid conveying tubes located between and bonded to adjacent air fins. The fluid tank includes a first end sealingly attached to a header plate of one core unit and a second end sealingly attached to a header plate of the other core unit. The fluid tank can be crimped to adjacent core units, and can be located entirely within the core stacking direction outermost boundaries of at least one of the core units.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A heat exchanger assembly comprising:
 a fluid tank; and   a pair of core units in an end-to-end arrangement, with the fluid tank positioned between and having an interior in fluid communication with the pair of core units, each of the core units including,
 a plurality of air fins parallel to and spaced apart from one another in a core stacking direction, 
 a plurality of parallel fluid conveying tubes located between and coupled to adjacent ones of the plurality of air fins, 
 first and second spaced apart header plates sealingly receiving first and second ends, respectively, of the plurality of parallel fluid conveying tubes, and 
 first and second side plates located adjacent outermost ones of the plurality of air fins to define an outermost boundary of each core unit in the core stacking direction; 
   wherein the fluid tank includes a first end and a second end opposite the first end, the first end being sealingly attached to one of the first and second header plates of one of the pair of core units, and the second end being sealingly attached to one of the first and second header plates of the other of the pair of core units, the fluid tank being located entirely within the outermost boundary of at least one of the pair of core units in the core stacking direction.   
     
     
         2 . The heat exchanger assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the fluid tank is sealingly attached to at least one of the pair of core units by a crimp joint. 
     
     
         3 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one of an inlet tank and an outlet tank sealingly attached to the other of the first and second header plates of the one of the pair of core units. 
     
     
         4 . The heat exchanger of  claim 3 , further comprising the other of an inlet tank and an outlet tank sealingly attached to the other of the first and second header plates of the other of the pair of core units. 
     
     
         5 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , further comprising a gasket positioned between the fluid tank and one of the first and second header plates of one of the pair of core units. 
     
     
         6 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein each core unit is a brazed aluminum core unit. 
     
     
         7 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein the fluid tank is made of plastic. 
     
     
         8 . The heat exchanger assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the pair of core units is a first pair of core units, and further comprising a second pair of core units adjacent the first pair of core units in the core stacking direction. 
     
     
         9 . The heat exchanger of  claim 8 , further comprising a structural frame supporting the first and second pair of core units. 
     
     
         10 . The heat exchanger assembly of  claim 8 , wherein the fluid tank is a first fluid tank, the heat exchanger assembly further comprising a second fluid tank, wherein the first fluid tank and the plurality of parallel fluid conveying tubes of the first pair of core units together at least partially define a first fluid flow path, and wherein the second fluid tank and the plurality of parallel fluid conveying tubes of the second pair of core units together at least partially define a second fluid flow path. 
     
     
         11 . The heat exchanger assembly of  claim 10 , wherein the first and second fluid flow paths are arranged in parallel with one another with respect to a fluid passing therethrough. 
     
     
         12 . The heat exchanger assembly of  claim 10 , wherein the first and second fluid flow paths are arranged in series with one another with respect to a fluid passing therethrough. 
     
     
         13 . A heat exchanger comprising:
 first and second core units, each core unit having a set of substantially parallel tubes extending in a direction through the core unit, each tube having first and second ends opposite one another, and a header coupled to and forming a fluid-tight seal with the first ends of the set of substantially parallel tubes; and   a tank located between the first and second core units and having opposite ends, the header of each of the first and second core units crimped in fluid-tight engagement with a respective one of the opposite ends, the tank having at least one interior space in fluid communication with interior spaces of the plurality of substantially parallel tubes of the first and second core units.   
     
     
         14 . The heat exchanger of  claim 13 , wherein the headers of the first and second core units are deformed to define crimped joints with the opposite ends of the tank. 
     
     
         15 . The heat exchanger of  claim 13 , further comprising a gasket compressed between each opposite end of the tank and the corresponding header of the first and second core units. 
     
     
         16 . The heat exchanger of  claim 13 , wherein the first and second core units are a first pair of core units, and further comprising a second pair of core units adjacent the first pair of core units, wherein the set of substantially parallel tubes of the first pair of core units extend in substantially the same direction as the set of substantially parallel tubes of the second pair of core units. 
     
     
         17 . The heat exchanger of  claim 16 , further comprising a second tank extending across and coupling adjacent ends of the first core units in the first and second pairs of core units. 
     
     
         18 . The heat exchanger of  claim 17 , wherein the second tank has an interior establishing fluid communication between the set of substantially parallel tubes of the first core units of the first and second pairs of core units. 
     
     
         19 . The heat exchanger of  claim 13 , further comprising first and second side plates located adjacent outermost ones of the set of substantially parallel tubes of each of the first and second core units. 
     
     
         20 . The heat exchanger of  claim 19 , wherein the tank and the first and second core units have respective widths extending transverse to the set of substantially parallel tubes of the first and second core units, and wherein a width of the tank is no greater than the widths of the first and second core units. 
     
     
         21 . A method of servicing a heat exchanger, the method comprising:
 disconnecting a first pair of core units from a second pair of core units, the first and second pairs of core units supported by a common frame, each of the first and second pair of core units including,
 a first core unit and a second core unit; 
 a set of substantially parallel tubes extending in a direction through one of the first and second core units, each tube having a first end and a second end opposite one another; 
 a header coupled to and forming a fluid-tight seal with the first ends of the set of substantially parallel tubes; and 
 a tank located between the first core unit and the second core unit, the tank having opposite ends each secured in fluid-tight engagement with a corresponding header of the first and second core units, the tank having at least one interior space in fluid communication with interior spaces of the plurality of substantially parallel tubes; 
   terminating fluid communication between the set of substantially parallel tubes of the first pair of core units and the set of substantially parallel tubes of the second pair of core units by disconnecting the first pair of core units from the second pair of core units; and   removing the first pair of core units from the frame while keeping the second pair of core units in place in the frame.