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A heat exchanger suitable for cooling exhaust gases and a method of making same are disclosed. The heat exchanger includes an outer casting member having first and second ends and forming a housing and a plurality of channel members forming alternating first and second flow channels for the flow of

A heat exchanger suitable for cooling exhaust gases and a method of making same are disclosed. The heat exchanger includes an outer casting member having first and second ends and forming a housing and a plurality of channel members forming alternating first and second flow channels for the flow of an exhaust gas through the first flow channels and coolant through the second flow channels. The channel members form a core having first and second ends, this core being mounted in the casting member. A first flange is fixedly attached to a first end of the core so as to form a sealed joint. A second flange is fixedly attached to the second end of the core so as to form another sealed joint. The first and second flanges are each coupled by fasteners to their respective ends of the casting.

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1. A heat exchanger comprising: an outer casting member having a first end and a second end and forming a heat exchanger housing extending between said first and second ends;a plurality of stacked channel members defining respectively a first set of flow channels for the flow of a first fluid throug

1. A heat exchanger comprising: an outer casting member having a first end and a second end and forming a heat exchanger housing extending between said first and second ends;a plurality of stacked channel members defining respectively a first set of flow channels for the flow of a first fluid through said heat exchanger, spaces formed between adjacent channel members so as to provide a second set of flow channels for the flow of a second fluid through said heat exchanger, said stacked channel members forming a heat exchanger core having a first end and a second end, said heat exchanger core being mounted within said outer casting member;a first flange fixedly attached to the first end of said heat exchanger core so as to provide a sealed joint between the first flange and said first end;a second flange fixedly attached to the second end of said heat exchanger core so as to provide a sealed joint between the second flange and the second end,wherein each of said first and second flanges are adapted to be coupled by fasteners to its respective end of the outer casting member. 2. A heat exchanger according to claim 1 including a first seal arranged between said first flange and said first end of said outer casting member and a second seal arranged between said second flange and the second end of said outer casting member. 3. A heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein said fasteners include bolts, said outer casting member is made of cast iron, and is formed with bolt receiving holes at both said first end and said second end, and said first and second flanges are formed with bolt holes aligned with said bolt-receiving holes in the outer casting member in order that said flanges can be attached by the bolts to said outer casting member. 4. A heat exchanger according to claim 3 including: an inlet casting forming an inlet for exhaust gases from an engine, andan outlet casting forming an outlet for said exhaust gases,both said inlet and outlet castings having additional bolt holes formed therein which are alignable with said bolt-receiving holes in said outer casting member and said bolt holes in said first and second flanges,wherein some of said bolts can be used to attach said inlet casting and said first flange together to said first end of said outer casting member and further of said bolts can be used to attach said outlet casting and said second flange to said second end of said outer casting member. 5. A heat exchanger according to claim 3, wherein said stacked channel members are constructed of thin plates having a thickness in the range of 0.2 to 0.6 mm. 6. A heat exchanger according to claim 3, wherein said first fluid is an exhaust gas from an engine, said second fluid is a coolant for cooling exhaust gas, and each channel member contains a corrugated fin plate to enhance heat exchange between the first and second fluids. 7. A heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein said second flange is a flexible gasket having a tubular inner section fixedly attached to said second end of said heat exchanger core and an outer section adapted to be coupled by said fasteners to said second end of said outer casting, said flexible gasket permitting thermal expansion of said heat exchanger core relative to said outer casting member during operation of said heat exchanger. 8. A heat exchanger according to claim 7, wherein said outer section of the gasket and said first flange are formed with bolt holes and said outer casting member is formed with bolt-receiving holes at both said first end and second end, wherein said flexible gasket and said first flange can be attached by bolts to said outer casting member. 9. A heat exchanger according to claim 8 including: an inlet casting forming an inlet for exhaust gases from an engine, andan outlet casting forming an outlet for said exhaust gases,both said inlet and said outlet castings having additional bolt holes formed therein which are aligned with said bolt-receiving holes in said outer casting member and said bolt holes in said outer section of the gasket and said first flange,wherein some of said bolts can be used to attach said inlet casting member and said first flange member together to said first end of said outer casting and further of said bolts can be used to attach said outlet casting and said gasket to said second end of said outer casting member. 10. A heat exchanger according to claim 9 including: a first seal arranged between said first flange and said first end of said outer casting member, anda second seal arranged between said inlet casting and said first flange. 11. An exhaust gas cooler for use in a vehicle having an engine that in use emits an exhaust gas, said cooler comprising: a cast cooler housing having a first end, an opposite second end, a heat exchange chamber extending between said first and second ends, an inlet port for coolant, and an outlet port for coolant;a heat exchanger core having a first end and a second end and mounted in said chamber of the cooler housing, said core including channel members defining first flow channels for the flow of said exhaust gas through the core, second flow channels being provided between the channel members for flow of said coolant through the core, said second flow channels alternating with said first flow channels;a first flange fixedly attached to the first end of said heat exchanger core so as to provide a sealed joint between the first flange and said first end;a second flange fixedly attached to the second end of said heat exchanger core so as to provide a sealed joint between the second flange and the second end,wherein each of said first and second flanges are adapted to be coupled by fasteners to its respective end of the outer casting member. 12. An exhaust gas cooler according to claim 11, wherein said fasteners are bolts, said cooler housing is made of cast iron and is formed with bolt-receiving holes at both its first and second ends, and said first and second flanges are both formed with bolt holes alignable with said bolt-receiving holes in said cooler housing in order that said flanges can be connected by said bolts to said cooler housing. 13. An exhaust gas cooler according to claim 12 wherein corrugated fin plates are mounted in said first flow channels to enhance heat exchange between the exhaust gas and the coolant. 14. An exhaust gas cooler according to claim 12 including a first seal arranged between said first flange and said first end of the cooler housing and a second seal arranged between said second flange and said second end of the cooler housing. 15. An exhaust gas cooler according to claim 14, wherein said second flange is a flexible gasket having a tubular inner section fixedly attached to said second end of said heat exchanger core and an outer section adapted to be connected to said second end of said cooler housing by some of said bolts. 16. A method of making a heat exchanger, comprising: providing a brazed cooler core having a first and second end, said core including channel members arranged one above another and defining two sets of flow channels for the flow of coolant through a first of said sets and the flow of hot gases through a second of said sets, the flow channels of the first set alternating with the flow channels of the second set;providing a cast cooler housing having a first end, an opposite second end, a heat exchange chamber extending between said first and second ends, and ports for flow of said coolant into and out of the chamber;welding a first flange member on said first end of the cooler core so as to provide a sealed joint between the first flange member and said first end;inserting said cooler core into said heat exchange chamber of the cooler housing through a first opening in said first end of the cooler housing so that said first flange member is adjacent said first end of the cooler housing and an end section of the cooler core projects through a second opening in said second end of the cooler housing; andwelding a second flange member to said second end of the cooler core so that a sealed joint is provided between the second flange member and the said second end. 17. A method according to claim 16 including the additional steps of: placing a first seal adjacent an inner surface of said first flange member after the latter is welded on said first end so that after said cooler core insertion step, said first seal is arranged between said first flange member and said first end of the cooler housing. 18. A method according to claim 17 including the further step of: placing a second seal adjacent said second end of the cooler housing prior to welding said second flange member to said second end of the cooler core, andcompressing the assembly of said cooler core with the attached first flange member, the cooler housing, and said first and second seals together prior to said step of welding the second flange member. 19. A method according to claim 17, wherein said second flange member is a flexible seal having a tubular radially inner section which is welded to said second end of the cooler core and a planar, radially outer section adapted to be connected to said second end of said cooler housing by means of bolts, said second flange member during use of the heat exchanger allowing said cooler core to thermally expand in a lengthwise direction of the cooler core. 20. A method according to claim 19 including the additional step of detachably connecting an outlet casting to said radially outer section of the second flange member and to said second end of the cooler, said outlet casting having a central outlet opening aligned with said second end of said cooler core.