Delphi Technologies, Inc.

Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

David A Southwick

Scott Edward Kent

Karl Paul Kroetsch

Krzysztof Wawrocki

Terry Joseph Hunt

Laurent Art

Chris A Calhoun

Yusuke Matsunaga

Khalid El Moutamid

David A Martinchek

Mohinder Singh Bhatti

Edward Douglas Pettitt

Henry E Beamer

John Paul Telesz

Lawrence P Scherer

Christopher Alfred Fuller

David W Patterson

Maciej Kozikowski

Krzysztof Wawroki

Systems and methods are disclosing providing for a fuel cell ('FC') stack assembly utilizing bus bars that accommodate for variations in FC stack heights during assembly. In some embodiments, bus bars consistent with embodiments disclosed herein may be integrally formed with terminal plates out of a single piece of conductive material. Further embodiments of the bus bars disclosed herein may include structures configured to facilitating cooling of the bus bars during operation of the FC system.

Fuel cell stack bus bar assembly systems and methods

A fuel cell system having compression retention features that functions dually to provide compression retention and to provide structural sealing and vehicle mounting capability, eliminating the bulk of an additional structural enclosure while retaining the balance of plant simplicity associated with the use of structural enclosures. The fuel cell system has fuel cells disposed between a dry end unit plate and a wet end unit plate and a compression retention system with a pair of opposing end caps and a pair of opposing side panels such that wet end unit plate is fixedly secured to the opposing end caps and the dry end unit plate is adjustably secured to the opposing end caps. Methods for eliminating the effect of stack height variance and balance of plant tolerances on fuel cell system installation are also provided.

Fuel cell stack compression system having integrated vehicle mounts

A heat exchanger assembly includes a first and second manifold. Each of the manifolds includes a tubular wall and a pair of manifold ends spaced from each other defining a flow path. A plurality of flow tubes extend between the manifolds and are in fluid communication with the flow paths. An insert is slidably disposed in the flow path of the first manifold. The insert divides the flow path into a plurality of chambers. The chambers and the flow tubes cooperate to establish a plurality of flow passes. The flow passes are for directing a heat exchange fluid through the heat exchanger assembly. The chambers are useful for orienting and connecting plumbing connections at various locations along the manifolds.

Heat exchanger assembly

A secondary heat exchanger subassembly, such as a transmission oil cooler, is disposed in a metal tank of a radiator and has a pair of metal fluid fittings. Either a connector ring engages a fitting extending through the opening in the tank or a connector nut extends into the opening to threadedly engage the fitting whereby the metal fittings are held to the metal tank and inserted into a furnace for being brazed into sealed relationship with the metal tank.

Method of attaching a transmission oil cooler to an aluminum tank

A condenser for an air conditioning system includes a receiver integrally formed with a second, or return, header which is in fluid communication with a second, or sub-cooling, group of tubes. A conduit extends between entry and discharge ends both of which are completely enclosed within the interior of the receiver. The conduit transports a refrigerant fluid in an upflow direction within the interior of the receiver and through a second fluid port located adjacent the discharge end of the conduit for directing the fluid into and through the return header to the sub-cooling group of tubes.

Condenser with integral receiver and capable of upflow operation

An end cap closes the open end of the tank. The end cap is comprised of an inlet diverter wall and tube diverter wall. The inlet diverter wall extends into the tank across the inlet axis for redirecting fluid from the inlet and longitudinally into the tank along the end of the core. The tube diverter wall also extends longitudinally into the tank in a spaced relationship to the tubes of the core for directing fluid out of the tubes and longitudinally into the tank. A first embodiment of the invention provides tube diverter walls that are planar. A second embodiment of the invention provides tube diverter walls that are curved.

End cap with an integral flow diverter

A heat exchanger is disclosed. A plurality of guides are integrally formed with the walls of a header tank and are used to position an oil cooler inside the tank to align a pair of fittings carried by the cooler with a pair of spaced openings in the tank.

Heat exchanger with tank utilizing integral positioning guides

A mounting system for a heat exchanger assembly consisting of a plastic bracket secured to the heat exchanger after brazing and requires no additional fasteners. The bracket includes a pair of arms that extend over a reinforcement member and engage a core. The first arm presents a resilient finger extending in a cantilever fashion to a protrusion presenting a ramp. The ramp allows the finger to flex outward as the bracket is assembled over the reinforcement member until the ramp snaps over and engages an edge on the reinforcement member. A notch and hole on the reinforcement member align with a male post and a second section of the bracket to limit movement of the bracket relative to the heat exchanger assembly. The arms have aligned openings, to create an airway through the bracket.

Snap-on mounting bracket for heat exchangers

A metal tank cap is integral with a reinforcing member via a narrow connection and is flared outwardly at the narrow connection portion to be over an open end of the tank simultaneously with moving the metal tubes of the core into the tank. By unbending the connection portion, the respective tank caps are deflared into the open ends of the respective tanks and the entire assembly is placed in a furnace and brazed together.

One piece integral reinforcement with angled end caps to facilitate assembly to core

A metal tank cap is integral with a reinforcing member via a narrow connection and covers an open end of the tank with adjacent reinforcement members being spaced from one another along each side of the core. The reinforcing members each have a pair of flanges extending outwardly from the sides thereof and have openings therein for receiving mounting anchors.

End cap with integral partial reinforcement

A condenser for an air conditioning system includes a core assembly having a header tank and a receiver/dehydrator member operably connected to the core assembly for condensing a refrigerant flowing internally. The receiver/dehydrator or receiver member includes two openings to receive male couplers extending from a tubular member connected to the core assembly. The condenser includes a coupler that extends into the receiver/dehydrator member between each opening and the male couplers to form a seal therebetween. The coupler and the male coupler are connected one with the other by brazing. In an alternative embodiment, the male coupler includes a snap-in element to engage the male coupler with the coupler.

Condenser for an air conditioning system

A one-piece header tank includes side edges that are overlapped and brazed together to form a joint positioned within the interior of the tank. The tank also includes an integrally formed mounting flange that may be fabricated without jeopardizing the leak integrity of the tank.

Header tank with integral mounting flange

A multi-function condenser for an air conditioning system includes a first header, a second header, a plurality of tubes, and a conduit. The tubes extend in parallel relationship between the headers for establishing fluid communication between the first header and the second header. The second header includes a header portion and a receiver portion. A conduit extends into and out of and is surrounded by the receiver portion to define a space between the conduit and the receiver portion. Heat is transferred between hot refrigerant flowing in the receiver portion, the header portion, and cooler refrigerant flowing through the conduit as the refrigerant flows through the conduit independently of the refrigerant flowing in the space and in the header portion to increase an overall efficiency of the air conditioning system.

Multi-function condenser

An integral plastic bracket, generally indicated at () in FIGS.and at () in FIGS., is in gripping engagement with each of first and second manifolds. Each bracket and includes a pocket complementary to and surrounding the associated manifold or and a pair of spaced flanges extending from the pocket to engage the faces of the heat exchanger core. Each bracket and also includes a plurality of recesses disposed about projections along the manifolds and for preventing the bracket and from moving along the associated manifold. The flanges have inside surfaces engaging the faces of the heat exchanger core that are closer together at a distance (B) than the transverse dimension (A) of the manifolds and for retaining the bracket and on the heat exchanger core.

Fastenerless mounting bracket for heat exchangers

A metal heat exchanger tank has a molded plastic attachment bracket that can be secured thereto anywhere along the length of the tank with a simple press fit that is very solid. A relatively short metal flange running the length of the tank is inserted into a pocket on the plastic bracket, as cross beams in the pocket insert within notches in the flange and resilient fingers in the pocket snap into indentations in the flange. The bracket is thus preventing from pulling away from the tank or from shifting along the length of the tank. One pocket wall is long enough to cover most a flat back of the tank, which is flush to a back face of the flange, and a footer on the bracket abuts with a flat side of the tank. This gives great twisting resistance to the bracket in any direction relative to the tank.

Growing community of inventors

Lockport, NY, United States of America

David A Southwick