Low-cost method of forming a heat exchanger with an increased heat transfer efficiency
AssigneeTellabs Petaluma, Inc.
InventorsLawrence M. Giacoma, Jimmy D. Cummings
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The efficiency of a heat exchanger is significantly improved by forming walls in an air flow structure, which has first grooves formed in the top surface of the structure and second grooves formed in the bottom surface of the structure, that block off alternating ends of the first and second grooves such that a first air source can only flow through the first grooves and a second air source can only flow through the second grooves.
Claims14
A method of forming a heat exchanger, the method comprising:
- forming an air flow structure that has a top surface, a bottom surface, a width, a length, a first edge that runs along the width, a second edge that runs along the width, a plurality of first grooves in the top surface, and a plurality of second grooves in the bottom surface, the first and second grooves extending along the length between the first and second edges, each groove having a substantially uniform width from the first edge to the second edge;
- and
- forming a plurality of first walls connected to the air flow structure by:
- placing the first edge in a mold;
- and
- introducing an elastomer into the mold.
A method of forming an air flow structure that has a plurality of alternating ridges and grooves, each ridge and groove having sidewalls that extend from a first end to a second end, a first opening at the first end, a second opening at the second end, and an elongated opening that extends from the first opening to the second opening, the method comprising:
- forming a first wall connected to the first end of the air flow structure to completely close each first opening of a plurality of ridges and grooves;
- forming a second wall connected to the second end of the air flow structure to completely close each second opening of a plurality of ridges and grooves, removing the first wall that closes off each first opening of the ridges;
- and removing the second wall that closes off each second opening of the grooves.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.