InnovationModine is the world leader in applied thermal innovation. Our company designs, manufactures and distributes products that manage thermal energy. Our thermal management innovations and solutions are found worldwide across many diversified markets. We have a long and distinguished history of technological advancement.
This page highlights some of the latest ideas and technical solutions submitted by Modine employees.
Improvements in Plate Heat Exchangers
A design feature is proposed, for improving the durability of plate type heat exchangers. Currently, the stacked plates generally include embossed beads surrounding the fluid ports. These beads are joined to beads on adjacent plates, or directly to the adjacent plates themselves. This structure creates an internal manifold for a fluid to flow. To allow the fluid to flow into specific flow channels between two adjacent plates, a gap is created in the bead surrounding the port.
The proposed design uses raised flanges surrounding the ports, which nest together and are joined to form the internal manifolds. In order to create a flow path to specific flow channels, openings (or windows) are located in the flanges, as shown in following figure. When nested, these flanges create a very robust structure.
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Reduction in Vibration Failures in Shell and Tub Heat Exchangers
For some types of shell and tube heat exchangers, vibration can lead to premature failures. This can be especially true with the type having the ends of the tubes joined to headers, and when one header is fixed while the other header is allowed to float in the axially direction. As shown in the figure below, a method of reducing the detrimental effects of vibration is proposed. A diffuser, joined to the floating header has features which slide in bushings which are mounted to the end housing. In this way, one end of the tube bundle is allowed to float axially, but transverse motion caused by vibration is drastically reduced.
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Housing-less EGR Cooler
Current EGR cooler designs typically use a coolant casing to contain the coolant around the exhaust tubes. This new design eliminates the external housing and uses the water fins to create the coolant casing. See figures below.
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EGR Cooling System
Industry is trending towards the use of two EGR Coolers in series. After exiting the traditional Coolant Cooled EGR Cooler (cEGR), the EGR then is further cooled by ambient air using an Air-Cooler EGR Cooler (dEGR). In a proposed design, a Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) is placed in front of the coolers. The purpose of the DPF is to remove soot particles from the exhaust, thereby reducing fouling.
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Features to Improve Tube Nose Strength and Increase Heat Exchanger Performance
Failures in service often occur in the tube nose area of flat tubes. Bypass of fluid in the tube nose area typically reduces the heat transfer performance. Proposed ideas involve methods of increasing the wall thickness of flat heat exchanger tubes at their respective noses and reducing bypass of fluid in the tube nose area when internal fins are used.
- Use inserts to increase effective wall thickness of the tube and to block off bypass flow.
- Reshape section of internal fin to provide effective increase of wall thickness.
- Insert a solid or formed plug to achieve both increased effective wall thickness and blockage of fluid bypass.
| Idea 1 | |
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| Idea 2 | Idea 3 |
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Layered Core Type EGR Cooler
The layered core design uses a self stacking design which allows for easy assembly and manufacturing. This type of cooler has alternating fluid passages, meaning that one passage is for the hot exhaust gas, and the adjacent passage is for the cooling fluid. The fluid passages are sealed internally by embosses. The outer perimeter of the fluid passages is sealed by a formed angled, nested edge. The internal design of the cooler allows for the cooling liquid to completely surround the exhaust gas ports. There are multiple options for distributing the cooling liquid. A few alternatives are dimples formed into the plate, inserting a fin in the cooling passage, or inserting a formed plate into the cooling passage. The distribution of the cooling fluid will impact the effectiveness and durability of the cooler. The position of the cooling fluid ports can change according to packaging requirements. The exhaust gas can be routed into and out of the cooler on either end or side. There are also options to have multiple passes on the exhaust and cooling fluid side.
| Exploded View - Assembly | Single Plate |
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Plate Oil Cooler with Blind Hole & Plug
In order to solve a unique mounting arrangement, an innovative design for an oil cooler has been devised. A stacked plate type oil cooler is generally made from a series of identical plates or pairs of plates. This design is very cost effective, in that, to vary the heat transfer performance, the quantity of plates is simply changed. In this case, the customer attachment point had tabs for location purposes. The first thought might be to make accommodations for the tabs with a few of the bottom plates. This would defeat the benefit of identical plates. So, in the proposed design, all plates remain identical, all having a slot to fit the tabs. A single hollow plug is inserted and brazed with the cooler. This plug closes the slots and maintains functionality of the cooler, while accepting the locating tabs.
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System for Improving Durability of EGR Coolers
An air management system is proposed for an internal combustion engine, which uses charge air to cool re-circulated exhaust gas (EGR), upstream of the exhaust gas recirculation cooler (EGRC). Compressed, clean air from the turbocharger compressor is introduced into the EGR stream. The system will help cool re-circulated exhaust gas before it enters the exhaust gas recirculation cooler. The thermal cycle durability benefits to the EGRC could be significant with lower inlet temperatures.
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Plate Heat Exchanger with Improved Durability
A plate type heat exchanger has been designed to improve durability with respect to cyclic pressure loads. The top internal fin is replaced by a solid metal reinforcement plate. The plate may have the same thickness of the fin it is replacing, thereby minimized tooling costs, as the design of the stacked plates themselves, do not change.
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