Method of manufacturing heat exchangers
AssigneeIce-Cel Pty. Limited
InventorAlbert E. Merryfull
Life of this patent
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Abstract
This invention relates to an improved method of manufacturing a heat exchanger element. In a second aspect the invention concerns a heat exchanger element itself. In the third aspect the invention concerns a reservoir suitable for housing the heat exchanger element to form a heat exchanger. The element is manufactured by extruding polyethylene tubes and winding them into spiral coils. Each coil is located along the length of a rigid horizontal spacer bar in order to maintain even spacing of the coil. The element comprises a stack of coils which are not restrained against vertical movement. The element also comprises a cylindrical void through the center.
Claims20
A method of manufacturing a heat exchanger element comprising the steps of:
- a) extruding a tube of deformable plastic material.
- b) winding the tube prior to curing to form a continuous spiral of tubing lying substantially in a plane;
- c) engaging the spiral of tubing along the length of at least one spacer bar in order to maintain the spacing of the spiral of tubing within said plane;
- d) disposing a plurality of spirals of tubing one above the other;
- and
- e) arranging one end of each spiral of tubing in communication with an inlet manifold and the other end in communication with an outlet manifold.
A method of manufacturing a heat exchanger comprising the steps of:
- (a) manufacturing a heat exchanger element according to any preceding claim, placing said element in a reservoir and then securing it to the reservoir.
A heat exchanger element of the type which exchanges heat between a fluid circulating in the element and a phase-change medium in a reservoir, the element comprising:
- a) a plurality of spirals of flexible tubing disposed one above the other, one end of each spiral being in communication with an inlet manifold and the other end in communication with on outlet manifold;
- and
- b) at least one spacer bar being notched along its length with notches of a size commensurate with the outer diameter of the tubes of said spirals such that each tube is engaged along the length of said spacer bar in order to maintain the tube in planar space relation.
A method of manufacturing a heat exchanger element comprising the steps of:
- a) extruding a tube of deformable plastic material;
- b) winding the tube by engaging the tube, prior to curing, along a length of at least one spacer bar while rotating the spacer bar to form a continuous spiral of tubing lying substantially in a plane;
- c) maintaining the planar spacing o the spiral tubing by said spacer bar;
- d) disposing a plurality of spirals of tubing in spaced relation to one another;
- and
- e) arranging the spirals of tubing in communication with an inlet and an outlet manifold.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.