Curved heat exchanger and method of manufacturing
AssigneeMahle International GmbH
InventorsJohn Rosen, Scott Kent
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A heat exchanger has an upper manifold with a first curved section; a lower manifold spaced from and extending parallel to the upper manifold and having a second curved section; a plurality of refrigerant tubes, and a plurality of corrugated fins. Each corrugated fin is formed by a strip having radiused portions alternating with planar portions, and the radiused portions are in contact with the respective adjacent refrigerant tubes. Each of the fins has a curve-inner edge and a curve outer edge and at least one edge of the curve-inner edge and the curve outer edge of at least one fin has a recessed portion in the planar portions that is recessed inward toward a center of the core.
Claims20
A heat exchanger comprising:
- an upper manifold having a first curved section;
- a lower manifold spaced from and extending parallel to the upper manifold and having a second curved section;
- a plurality of refrigerant tubes, each refrigerant tube of the plurality of refrigerant tubes extending along a tube length from the upper manifold to the lower manifold and in hydraulic communication with the upper and lower manifolds;
- a plurality of corrugated fins, each of the corrugated fins inserted between respective adjacent ones of the refrigerant tubes, the refrigerant tubes and corrugated fins defining a core having a plurality of air channels from a curve-outer face of the core to a curve-inner face of the core, each corrugated fin of the plurality of corrugated fins being formed by a strip having radiused portions alternating with planar portions, wherein the radiused portions are in contact with the respective adjacent refrigerant tubes,
- wherein each of the fins has a curve-inner edge and a curve outer edge and at least one edge of the curve-inner edge and the curve outer edge of at least one fin extending between the first curved section and the second curved section has a recessed portion in the planar portions that is recessed inward toward a center of the core.
A method of making a curved heat exchanger, the method comprising the following steps:
- assembling parts of the heat exchanger, the parts, after assembly, form a flat heat exchanger including:
- an upper manifold having a straight elongated shape;
- an lower manifold spaced from and extending parallel to the upper manifold;
- a plurality of refrigerant tubes, each refrigerant tube of the plurality of refrigerant tubes extending along a tube length with one tube end attached to the upper manifold and another tube end attached to the lower manifold;
- and
- a plurality of corrugated fins, each of the corrugated fins inserted between two respective adjacent ones of the refrigerant tubes, the refrigerant tubes and corrugated fins defining a core having a plurality of air channels for airflow from a first face of the core to a second face of the core, each corrugated fin of the plurality of corrugated fins being formed by a strip having radiused portions alternating with planar portions, wherein the radiused portions are in contact with the respective adjacent refrigerant tubes;
- driving an edge tool along the first face of the core between the respective adjacent refrigerant tubes in a direction parallel to the refrigerant tubes so as to form a respective recessed portion in a plurality of the planar portions;
- and
- bending the first manifold, the second manifold, and the core about a common bending axis extending parallel to the refrigerant tubes to form a curved portion of the heat exchanger, wherein the curved portion of the heat exchanger includes the recessed portions.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.