Heat exchanger assembly

Abstract

A heat exchanger assembly comprises at least two heat exchanger cores arranged in parallel flow, each heat exchanger core including a plurality of tubes, fins between the tubes and opposing headers sealingly attached at each end of the tubes. A common tank is positioned between the at least two heat exchanger cores and connected to a header at one end of each heat exchanger core, and separate tanks are connected to a header at the other end of each of the at least two heat exchanger cores. The separate tanks may be inlet tanks for fluid passing into the heat exchanger assembly and the common tank may be an outlet tank for fluid passing out of the heat exchanger assembly, or the flow path may be reversed, with the common tank being an inlet tank and the separate tanks being outlet tanks. A method for operating the heat exchanger comprises providing fluid ports on each of the common tank and the separate tanks for passage of a fluid into and out of the heat exchanger, and flowing the fluid between the common tank and the separate tanks through the at least two heat exchanger cores to cool the fluid.

Thus, having described the invention, what is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A heat exchanger assembly, comprising:
 at least two heat exchanger cores arranged in parallel flow, each heat exchanger core including a plurality of tubes, fins between the tubes and opposing headers sealingly attached at each end of the tubes;   a common tank between the at least two heat exchanger cores, the common tank connected to a header at one end of each heat exchanger core; and   separate tanks connected to a header at the other end of each of the at least two heat exchanger cores,   whereby one of the common tank or the separate tanks is an outlet tank or tanks for fluid passing out of the heat exchanger assembly and the other of the common tank or the separate tanks is an inlet tank or tanks for fluid passing into the heat exchanger assembly.   
     
     
         2 . The heat exchanger assembly of  claim 1  wherein the common tank is centered between the at least two heat exchanger cores. 
     
     
         3 . The heat exchanger assembly of  claim 1  including a plurality of heat exchanger cores and wherein there are the same number of heat exchanger cores on each side of the common tank. 
     
     
         4 . The heat exchanger assembly of  claim 1  wherein the common tank and separate tanks are each comprised of steel, the headers are each comprised of brass, and the heat exchanger cores comprise brass tubes and copper or copper alloy fins. 
     
     
         5 . The heat exchanger assembly of  claim 1  including a pair of opposing side members adapted to provide structural support to the heat exchanger cores and to substantially eliminate air flow bypass around the side of the cores. 
     
     
         6 . The heat exchanger assembly of  claim 1  wherein the heat exchanger cores are arranged in pairs and further including a core support member disposed between each pair of heat exchanger cores and shaped to force entering air to either side of the core support member and direct air flow to the fins and tubes of the heat exchanger cores. 
     
     
         7 . The heat exchanger assembly of  claim 1  wherein each tube has a tube end sealingly inserted into one of a plurality of openings in the header to form a resilient tube-to-header joint. 
     
     
         8 . A heat exchanger assembly, comprising:
 at least two heat exchangers arranged in parallel flow, each heat exchanger including a plurality of tubes, fins between the tubes, opposing headers sealingly attached at each end of the tubes, and inlet and outlet tanks sealingly attached to the headers;   a common tank between the at least two heat exchangers, the common tank connected to a tank at one end of each heat exchanger; and   separate tanks connected to a tank at the other end of each of the at least two heat exchangers,   whereby one of the common tank or the separate tanks is an outlet tank or tanks for fluid passing out of the heat exchanger assembly and the other of the common tank or the separate tanks is an inlet tank or tanks for fluid passing into the heat exchanger assembly.   
     
     
         9 . The heat exchanger of  claim 8  wherein the heat exchangers are sealingly connected to the common and separate tanks using at least one hose attached between the tank on one end of each heat exchanger and the common tank, and the tank on the other end of each heat exchanger and one of the separate tanks, respectively. 
     
     
         10 . The heat exchanger assembly of  claim 8  wherein the common tank is centered between the at least two heat exchangers. 
     
     
         11 . The heat exchanger assembly of  claim 8  including a plurality of heat exchangers and wherein there are the same number of heat exchangers on each side of the common tank. 
     
     
         12 . The heat exchanger assembly of  claim 10  wherein the common tank and separate tanks are each comprised of steel and each of the heat exchangers comprises a CAB aluminum core, wherein the tanks are comprised of plastic and the cores are comprised of aluminum tubes, fins and headers. 
     
     
         13 . The heat exchanger assembly of  claim 10  including a pair of opposing side members adapted to provide structural support to the heat exchangers and to substantially eliminate air flow bypass around the side of the heat exchangers. 
     
     
         14 . The heat exchanger assembly of  claim 10  wherein the heat exchangers are arranged in pairs and further including a support member disposed between each pair of heat exchangers and shaped to force entering air to either side of the support member and direct air flow to the fins and tubes of the heat exchangers. 
     
     
         15 . The heat exchanger assembly of  claim 10  wherein each tube has a tube end sealingly inserted into one of a plurality of openings in the header to form a resilient tube-to-header joint. 
     
     
         16 . A method of operating a heat exchanger, comprising the steps of:
 providing at least two heat exchanger cores arranged in parallel flow, each heat exchanger core including a plurality of tubes, fins between the tubes and opposing headers sealingly attached at each end of the tubes;   providing a common tank between the at least two heat exchanger cores, the common tank connected to a header at one end of each heat exchanger core;   providing separate tanks connected to a header at the other end of each of the at least two heat exchanger cores;   providing fluid ports on each of the common tank and the separate tanks for passage of a fluid into and out of the heat exchanger, whereby one of the common tank or the separate tanks is an outlet tank or tanks for fluid passing out of the heat exchanger and the other of the common tank or the separate tanks is an inlet tank or tanks for fluid passing into the heat exchanger; and   flowing the fluid between the common tank and the separate tanks through the at least two heat exchanger cores to cool the fluid.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein each of the separate tanks includes an inlet fluid port and the common tank includes an outlet fluid port, and wherein the step of flowing the fluid between the common tank and the separate tanks comprises first flowing the fluid through the separate tank inlet fluid ports, through the at least two heat exchanger cores, and then through the common tank outlet fluid port. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16  further comprising the step of connecting an inlet fluid line to a fluid port on one of the common tank and the separate tanks, and connecting an outlet fluid line to a fluid port on the other of the common tank and the separate tanks. 
     
     
         19 . A tank for a heat exchanger assembly, the tank positioned between at least two heat exchanger cores each including a plurality of tubes, fins between the tubes and opposing headers sealingly attached at each end of the tubes, the tank connected to a header at one end of each heat exchanger core and including a fluid port for passage of a fluid into or out of the heat exchanger assembly. 
     
     
         20 . The tank of  claim 19  wherein the at least two heat exchanger cores are arranged in parallel flow and wherein the fluid is flowed between the common tank and a pair of opposing separate tanks connected to a header at the other end of each of the at least two heat exchanger cores through the at least two heat exchanger cores to cool the fluid.