Plate heat exchanger with a hybrid flow control device

Abstract

A heat exchanger for a thermal management system is disclosed. The heat exchanger comprises a plurality of plates in a stacked relationship that form thermal exchange flow channels for a first fluid and a second fluid and a bypass flow channel for the second fluid. The heat exchanger further includes a first flow control device disposed in the heat exchanger to regulate a flow of the first fluid through the thermal exchange flow channels of the heat exchanger based on an inflow momentum of the first fluid entering into the heat exchanger, and a second flow control device disposed in the heat exchanger to regulate the flow of the second fluid through the bypass flow channel and the thermal exchange flow channels of the heat exchanger based on a temperature and an inflow momentum of the second fluid entering into the heat exchanger.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A flow control device for a heat exchanger, comprising:
 a housing configured to be disposed in an inlet manifold of a heat exchanger;   a first movable member disposed in the housing and configured to control a flow of a fluid through the heat exchanger, wherein the first movable member is positionable to regulate the flow of the fluid through the heat exchanger based on a temperature of the fluid entering the heat exchanger; and   a second movable member disposed in the housing and configured to control the flow of the fluid through the heat exchanger, wherein the second movable member is variably positionable to regulate the flow of the fluid through the heat exchanger based on an inflow momentum of the fluid entering into the heat exchanger.   
     
     
         2 . The flow control device of  claim 1 , further comprising a thermally responsive biasing element configured to urge the first movable member between a first position and a second position. 
     
     
         3 . The flow control device of  claim 1 , wherein the first movable member is positionable to control a flow of the fluid through a bypass flow channel of the heat exchanger. 
     
     
         4 . The flow control device of  claim 1 , wherein the second movable member is variably positionable to control a number of active thermal exchange flow channels of the heat exchanger. 
     
     
         5 . The flow control device of  claim 1 , wherein the first movable member is in a first position when a temperature of the fluid is less than an activation temperature of a thermally responsive biasing element and a second position when the temperature of the fluid is equal to or greater than the activation temperature of the thermally responsive biasing element. 
     
     
         6 . The flow control device of  claim 1 , wherein the second movable member is in a first position when the inflow momentum is relatively low and a second position when the inflow momentum is relatively high. 
     
     
         7 . The flow control device of  claim 6 , wherein the second movable member is in an intermediate third position between the first position and the second position when the inflow momentum is relatively moderate between the relatively low inflow momentum and the relatively high inflow momentum. 
     
     
         8 . The flow control device of  claim 1 , wherein the first movable member in a first position permits a flow of the fluid through a bypass flow channel of the heat exchanger. 
     
     
         9 . The flow control device of  claim 8 , wherein the first movable member in a second position militates against the flow of the fluid through the bypass flow channel of the heat exchanger. 
     
     
         10 . The flow control device of  claim 1 , wherein the second movable member in a first position militates against the flow of the fluid through one or more of a plurality of thermal exchange flow channels of the heat exchanger. 
     
     
         11 . The flow control device of  claim 10 , wherein the second movable member in a second position permits the flow of the fluid through an entirety of the thermal exchange flow channels of the heat exchanger. 
     
     
         12 . The flow control device of  claim 11 , wherein the second movable member in an intermediate third position permits the flow of the fluid through one or more of the thermal exchange flow channels of the heat exchanger and militates against the flow of the fluid through one or more of the thermal exchange flow channels of the heat exchanger. 
     
     
         13 . The flow control device of  claim 1 , wherein one or more engagement portions of the second movable member sealingly engage the housing in a first position of the second movable member to militate against the flow of the fluid through one or more of a plurality of thermal exchange flow channels of the heat exchanger. 
     
     
         14 . The flow control device of  claim 13 , wherein the one or more engagement portions of the second movable member are spaced from the housing in a second position of the movable member to permit the flow of the fluid around the second movable member and through an entirety of the thermal exchange flow channels of the heat exchanger. 
     
     
         15 . The flow control device of  claim 13 , wherein the one or more engagement portions of the second movable member sealingly engage the housing in an intermediate third position to permit the flow of the fluid through one or more of the thermal exchange flow channels of the heat exchanger and militate against the flow of the fluid through one or more of the thermal exchange flow channels of the heat exchanger. 
     
     
         16 . The flow control device of  claim 1 , further comprising a biasing element configured to provide a biasing force against the second movable member and a force of the flow of the fluid. 
     
     
         17 . The flow control device of  claim 16 , wherein the second movable member is in a first position when the force of the flow of the fluid into the heat exchanger is less than the biasing force of the biasing element of the flow control device. 
     
     
         18 . The flow control device of  claim 16 , wherein the second movable member is in a second position when the force of the flow of the fluid into the heat exchanger is greater than the biasing force of the biasing element of the flow control device. 
     
     
         19 . A heat exchanger, comprising:
 a plurality of plates in stacked relationship forming a bypass flow channel, a plurality of thermal exchange flow channels, and an inlet manifold for a fluid; and   a flow control device disposed in the inlet manifold and configured to regulate the flow of the fluid through the flow channels for the fluid based on a temperature and an inflow momentum of the fluid entering into the heat exchanger.   
     
     
         20 . A method for controlling a thermal management system, comprising:
 providing a thermal management system including a heat exchanger fluidly connected to a fluid circuit for a fluid, wherein the heat exchanger comprises a flow control device is disposed in an inlet manifold of the heat exchanger fluidly connected to the fluid circuit, and wherein the flow control device includes a housing, a first movable member disposed in the housing, and a second movable member disposed in the housing;   positioning the first movable member of the flow control device to regulate a flow of the fluid through a bypass flow channel within the heat exchanger based on a temperature of the fluid entering into the heat exchanger; and   variably positioning the second movable member of the flow control device to regulate the flow of the fluid through a plurality of thermal exchange flow channels within the heat exchanger based on an inflow momentum of the fluid entering into the heat exchanger.