Heat Exchanger Insert

Abstract

The invention relates to an insert intended to encourage the exchange of heat between a first fluid and a second fluid. The insert includes a concertina-folded plate for the circulation of the first fluid. The plate is intended to come into thermal contact with circulation channels for the second fluid. The plate includes a multiplicity of ridges able to divert the circulation of the first fluid from one direction of flow. The insert has an increasing density of ridges in the direction of flow. The invention also relates to a heat exchange bundle including a plurality of such inserts, as well as a heat exchanger for a cooling circuit comprising such a heat exchange bundle.

1 . An insert intended to encourage the exchange of heat between a first fluid and a second fluid, the insert comprising a concertina-folded plate for the circulation of the first fluid, the plate for coming into thermal contact with circulation channels for the second fluid, the plate including a multiplicity of ridges able to divert the circulation of the first fluid from one direction of flow, the insert having an increasing density of ridges in the direction of flow. 
     
     
         2 . The insert, as claimed in  claim 1 , in which the plate comprises a plurality of corrugations intended to guide the fluid in the direction of flow, each corrugation being offset, one in relation to the other, in a direction transverse to the direction of flow in such a way that the ridges are formed by opposed end edges of the corrugations, the length of the corrugations decreasing in the direction of flow. 
     
     
         3 . The insert, as claimed in  claim 2 , in which the corrugations are offset by a distance substantially equal to half of a pitch of the corrugation. 
     
     
         4 . The insert, as claimed in  claim 2 , formed from one and the same said the concertina-folded plate. 
     
     
         5 . The insert, as claimed in  claim 2 , further comprising at least two zones, each zone including a constant density of ridges. 
     
     
         6 . The insert, as claimed in  claim 5 , in which the corrugations of each of the zones are of the same length. 
     
     
         7 . The insert, as claimed in  claim 5 , in which a first zone, in the direction of flow, has only a single corrugation. 
     
     
         8 . The insert, as claimed in  claim 6 , in which the length of a shortest corrugations lies in the range between 0.5 and 1.5 mm. 
     
     
         9 . The insert, as claimed in  claim 5 , in which each zone has a length from 10 to 50 mm. 
     
     
         10 . A heat exchange bundle comprising a plurality of inserts as claimed in  claim 1 . 
     
     
         11 . The heat exchange bundle, as claimed in  claim 10 , comprising, two blades forming a pair, the pair defining a channel for the circulation of the first fluid in which one of the inserts is situated, and two additional blades forming another pair defining a channel for the circulation of the second fluid. 
     
     
         12 . The heat exchange bundle, as claimed in  claim 11 , in which the heat exchange bundle is configured so that the second fluid circulates in a flow perpendicular to the direction of flow. 
     
     
         13 . The heat exchange bundle as claimed in  claim 11 , in which the channel for the circulation of the second fluid comprises a plurality of passages, permitting the second fluid to change direction from one passage to the other. 
     
     
         14 . The heat exchange bundle, as claimed in  claim 13 , further comprising at least two zones, each zone including a constant density of ridges with the heat exchange bundle comprising as many passages as zones, with each passage of the second fluid corresponding to one of the zone. 
     
     
         15 . A heat exchanger comprising a heat exchange bundle as claimed in  claim 10 . 
     
     
         16 . The insert, as claimed in  claim 3 , formed from the concertina-folded plate. 
     
     
         17 . The insert, as claimed in  claim 3 , further comprising at least two zones, each zone including a constant density of ridges.