초록 ▼

The heat exchanger of the present invention has a charge air cooler stacked upstream of a jacket water cooler. The charge air cooler is split into two sections. Each section has a vertical tank and header on the outside of the charge air cooler. Charge air enters the respective tanks and then horizo

The heat exchanger of the present invention has a charge air cooler stacked upstream of a jacket water cooler. The charge air cooler is split into two sections. Each section has a vertical tank and header on the outside of the charge air cooler. Charge air enters the respective tanks and then horizontally flows to a vertical center tank, where it flows vertically to the outlet, and is routed to the engine. Maximum entering temperature differentials in the charge air cooler occurs at the sides of the cooler, as does maximum heat energy transfer. The air passing through the middle of the charge air cooler (adjacent the vertical center tank) gains the least amount of heat energy. The jacket water cooler can be a vertical flow cooler. A significant portion of the jacket water cooler at the middle of the jacket water cooler operates at increased entering temperature differential.

대표청구항 ▼

We claim: 1. A charge air cooler for cooling charge air from a first turbocharger and a second turbocharger, said charge air cooler comprising: a top, a bottom, a first side and a second side; a center tank vertically oriented between said top and said bottom, said center tank being between said fi

We claim: 1. A charge air cooler for cooling charge air from a first turbocharger and a second turbocharger, said charge air cooler comprising: a top, a bottom, a first side and a second side; a center tank vertically oriented between said top and said bottom, said center tank being between said first side and said second side; a first section comprising a first section tank and being bound by said top, said bottom, said first side and said center tank, wherein charge air from the first turbocharger enters said first section tank and flows horizontally to said vertical center tank; and a second section comprising a second section tank and being bound by said top, said bottom, said second side and said center tank, wherein charge air from the second turbocharger enters said second section tank and flows horizontally to said vertical center tank. 2. The charge air cooler of claim 1 wherein: said first section tank is at said first side of said charger air cooler, said first section tank having a first section charge air inlet between said top and said bottom of said charge air cooler; said second section tank is at said second side of said charge air cooler, said second section tank having a second section charge air inlet between said top and said bottom of said charge air cooler; said first section comprises a first section header and a plurality of first section horizontal tubes between said first section header and said center tank; and said second section comprises a plurality of second section horizontal tubes between said second section header and said center tank. 3. The charge air cooler of claim 2 wherein: said center tank comprises a center tank top, a center tank bottom, a center tank first side, a center tank second side, and an inner wall vertically between said center tank bottom and said center tank top; charge air cooled in said first section passes into said center tank along said center tank first side and rises to said center tank top; charge air cooled in said second section passes into said center tank along said center tank second side and rises to said center tank top; and any condensate formed through the process of cooling the charge air falls to the bottom of said center tank and the cooled charge air exits at the top of said center tank. 4. A charge air cooler for cooling charge air from a first turbocharger and a second turbocharger, said charge air cooler comprising: a top, a bottom, a first side and a second side, said first side and said second side defining a core width therebetween; a center tank that is vertically oriented between said top and said bottom, is between said first side and said second side and receiving cooled charge air passing from a first section and a second section; said first section bound by said top, said bottom, said first side and said center tank and comprising a plurality of first section tubes being oriented generally horizontally and connected to said center tank, said first section tubes each having a first section tube length and the charge air from the first turbocharger flows through said plurality of first section tubes and into said center tank; and said second section bound by said top, said bottom, said second side and said center tank and comprising a plurality of second section tubes being oriented generally horizontally and connected to said center tank, said second section tubes each having a second section tube length and the charge air from the second turbocharger flows through said plurality of second section tubes and into said center tank, wherein the sum length of said first section tube length and said second section tube length is less than or equal to said core width. 5. The charge air cooler of claim 4 wherein: said first section comprises a first section tank and a first section header at said first side of said charger air cooler, said plurality of first section tubes being connected to said first section header and said center tank; said first section tank has a first section charge air inlet receiving charge air from the first turbocharger, said first section charge air inlet being located between said bottom and said top of said charge air cooler; said second section comprises a second section tank and a second section header at said second side of said charge air cooler, said plurality of second section tubes being connected to said second section header and said center tank; and said second section tank has a second section charge air inlet receiving charge air from the second turbocharger, said second section charge air inlet being located between said bottom and said top of said charge air cooler. 6. The charge air cooler of claim 4 wherein: said center tank comprises a center tank top, a center tank bottom, a center tank first side, a center tank second side, and an inner wall vertically between said center tank bottom and said center tank top; charge air cooled in said first section passes into said center tank along said center tank first side and rises to said center tank top; charge air cooled in said second section passes into said center tank along said center tank second side and rises to said center tank top; and any condensate formed through the process of cooling the charge air falls to the bottom of said center tank and the cooled charge air exits at the top of said center tank. 7. A charge air cooler for cooling charge air from a first turbocharger and a second turbocharger, said charge air cooler comprising: a top, a bottom, a first side and a second side; a center tank receiving cooled charge air passing from a first section and a second section, said center tank having a single outlet for sending cooled charge air to the engine; said center tank orientated between said top and said bottom, and said tank is between said first side and said second side; said first section comprising a first section tank having a first section inlet for receiving charge air from the first turbocharger, and further comprising a first section header, charge air from the first turbocharger moving through said first section in a first direction to said center tank; and said second section comprising a second section tank having a second section inlet for receiving charge air from the second turbocharger, and further comprising a second section header charge air from the second turbocharger moving through said second section in a second direction that is generally opposed to said first direction to said center tank, whereby said first section header is subject to stress caused by the first turbocharger and said second section header is subject to stress caused by the second turbocharger. 8. The charge air cooler of claim 7 wherein: said center tank is vertically oriented between said top and said bottom, said center tank being between said first side and said second side; said first section is bound by said top, said bottom, said first side and said center tank, said first section further comprises a plurality of first section tubes being oriented generally horizontally, and the charge air from the first turbocharger flows from said first section header through said plurality of first section tubes and into said center tank; and said second section is bound by said top, said bottom, said second side and said center tank, said second section further comprises a plurality of second section tubes being oriented generally horizontally, and the charge air from the second turbocharger flows from said second section header through said plurality of second section tubes and into said center tank. 9. The charge air cooler of claim 8 wherein: said first section charge air inlet is located between said bottom and said top of said charge air cooler; and said second section charge air inlet is located between said bottom and said top of said charge air cooler. 10. The charge air cooler of claim 8 wherein: said center tank comprises a center tank top, a center tank bottom, a center tank first side, a center tank second side, and an inner wall vertically between said center tank bottom and said center tank top; charge air cooled in said first section passes into said center tank along said center tank first side and rises to said center tank top; charge air cooled in said second section passes into said center tank along said center tank second side and rises to said center tank top; and any condensate formed through the process of cooling the charge air falls to the bottom of said center tank and the cooled charge air exits at the top of said center tank. 11. An apparatus comprising: an engine having a charge air inlet; a first turbocharger having a first turbocharger charge air outlet; a second turbocharger having a second turbocharger charge air outlet; a heat exchanger assembly comprising a charge air cooler, said charge air cooler comprising: a first side, a second side, a top and a bottom; a vertically oriented center tank having a charge air outlet; a first section bound by said first side, said top, said bottom and said center tank and having a first section charge air inlet; a second section bound by said second side, said top, said bottom and said center tank and having a second section charge air inlet; a first inlet line connected to said first turbocharger charge air outlet and to said first section charge air inlet; a second inlet line connected to said second turbocharger charge air outlet and to said second section charge air inlet; and a return line connected to said charge air outlet of said center tank and to said charge air inlet of said engine. 12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein: said first section of said charge air cooler comprises a first section tank at said first side of said charge air cooler and a plurality of first section horizontal tubes between said first section tank and said vertically oriented center tank, said first charge air inlet being connected to said first section tank approximately ½ way between said top and said bottom of said charge air cooler; and said second section of said charge air cooler comprises a second section tank at said second side of said charge air cooler and a plurality of second section horizontal tubes between said second section tank and said vertically oriented center tank, said second charge air inlet being connected to said second section tank approximately ½ way between said top and said bottom of said charge air cooler. 13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein: said vertically oriented center tank comprises a center tank top, a center tank bottom, a center tank first side, a center tank second side, and an inner wall vertically between said center tank bottom and said center tank top; charge air cooled in said first section passes into said center tank along said center tank first side and rises to said center tank top; charge air cooled in said second section passes into said center tank along said center tank second side and rises to said center tank top; and any condensate formed through the process of cooling the charge air falls to the bottom of said center tank and the cooled charge air exits at the top of said center tank. 14. The apparatus of claim 12 further comprising: an air mover for moving air in an axial direction; and a jacket water cooler located downstream of said charge air cooler, said jacket water cooler having a selected amount of engine coolant flow vertically there through, wherein: said air mover moves air at the ambient temperature through said charge air cooler, the air gaining heat energy as it passes there through whereby the air adjacent said first side and said second side of said heat exchanger assembly experiences the highest rise in temperature and the air between the first side and the second side of said heat exchanger assembly experiences the least rise in temperature as the air passes through said charge air cooler; and said air passes next through said jacket water cooler, the air being between said first side and said second side of said heat exchanger assembly having the greatest temperature differential compared to the temperature of the selected amount of engine coolant whereby the jacket water cooler has increased efficiency due to the increased entering temperature differential. 15. A heat exchanger comprising: an air mover moving air in an axial direction; a charge air cooler comprising: a charge air cooler first side, a charge air cooler second side, a charge air cooler top and a charge air cooler bottom; a vertically oriented charge air cooler center tank; a first section bound by said charge air cooler first side, said charge air cooler top, said charge air cooler bottom and said charge air cooler center tank; and a second section bound by said charge air cooler second side, said charge air cooler top, said charge air cooler bottom and said charge air cooler center tank, wherein air passing through said charge air cooler gains the most heat energy at said charge air cooler first side and said charge air cooler second side and the least heat energy in the area bounded by the charge air cooler top and the charge air cooler bottom and between the charge air cooler first side and the charge air cooler second side; and a jacket water cooler downstream of said charge air cooler, and comprising a jacket water cooler first side, a jacket water cooler second side, a jacket water cooler middle between said jacket water cooler first side and said jacket water cooler second side, a jacket water cooler top and a jacket water cooler bottom, said jacket water cooler being a vertical flow jacket water cooler, wherein said jacket water cooler middle adjacent said jacket water cooler top experiences the greatest temperature differential between engine coolant and the air that has previously passed through said charge air cooler. 16. The heat exchanger of claim 15 wherein: said first section of said charge air cooler comprises a first section tank at said charge air cooler first side and a plurality of first section horizontal tubes between said first section tank and said vertically oriented charge air cooler center tank, said first charge air inlet being connected to said first section tank approximately ½ way between said charge air cooler top and said charge air cooler bottom; and said second section of said charge air cooler comprises a second section tank at said charge air cooler second side and a plurality of second section horizontal tubes between said second section tank and said vertically oriented charge air cooler center tank, said second charge air inlet being connected to said second section tank approximately ½ way between said charge air cooler top and said charge air cooler bottom. 17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein: said vertically oriented charge air cooler center tank comprises a center tank top, a center tank bottom, a center tank first side, a center tank second side, and an inner wall vertically between said center tank bottom and said center tank top; charge air cooled in said first section passes into said charge air cooler center tank along said center tank first side and rises to said center tank top; charge air cooled in said second section passes into said charge air cooler center tank along said center tank second side and rises to said center tank top; and any condensate formed through the process of cooling the charge air falls to the bottom of said center tank and the cooled charge air exits at the top of said center tank. 18. The heat exchanger of claim 15 wherein said air mover is a fan, said fan pushing air through said heat exchanger.