Locomotive heat exchanger apparatus and method of manufacturing a heat exchanger apparatus
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsBALAJI HOSADURGAM RAVINDRANATH, HARISH GANAPATHY
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A locomotive heat exchanger apparatus includes a header having at least one opening, at least one tubular member joined to the header and having an interior passageway in fluid communication with the at least one opening, and a plurality of radial fins extending from the at least one tubular member. The tubular member and the plurality of radial fins may be formed as a unitary component via additive manufacturing without welding or interference fit.
Claims21
A locomotive heat exchanger apparatus, comprising:
- a header having at least one opening;
- at least one tubular member joined to the header and having an interior passageway in fluid communication with the at least one opening;
- and
- a plurality of radial fins extending from the at least one tubular member;
- wherein the tubular member and the plurality of radial fins are formed as a unitary component via additive manufacturing without welding or interference fit.
A locomotive heat exchanger apparatus, comprising:
- a header having plural openings and a wall thickness of at least 2 millimeters;
- and
- plural finned tubes joined to the header and having respective interior passageways in fluid communication with the openings;
- wherein each finned tube of the plural finned tubes respectively comprises:
- a tubular member defining a respective one of the interior passageways and having a wall thickness of no more than 1 millimeter;
- a plurality of radial fins extending from the tubular member, wherein one or more of the radial fins include a respective plurality of corrugations formed therein;
- and
- one or more fillets formed at interfaces between the radial fins and the tubular member;
- wherein the finned tubes are formed as monolithic components.
A locomotive heat exchanger apparatus, comprising:
- a header having plural openings;
- plural tubular members joined to the header and having respective interior passageways in fluid communication with the openings;
- and
- a respective plurality of radial fins extending from each of the tubular members;
- wherein the tubular members and the radial fins are formed as respective monolithic components.
21-28. (canceled)
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.