Tubing element with fins for a heat exchanger

Abstract

A tubing element for a heat exchanger is at least partially a rigid elongated tubing having a first end, a second end, a first side wall and a second side wall. First and second side walls are substantially parallel to each other. The distance between first side wall and second side wall is considerably smaller than the width of first side wall and second side wall, resulting in a substantially overall flat tubing structure with connection walls on both sides. The tubing element has a plurality of fins on at least one of the outer surfaces of the first side wall and/or of the second side wall. Fins define an angle enclosed by the fins and a connection wall. A heat exchanger, use of a tubing element, use of a heat exchanger and method of manufacturing of a tubing element to manufacture at least partially a heat exchanger are included.

Claims

1. Finned tubing element (10, 10′) for a heat exchanger (100, 100′), the finned tubing element (10, 10′) being at least partially a rigid elongated heat exchanger tubing having at least a first end (20) and at least a second end (30) and having a first side wall (40) and a second side wall (50), the first side wall (40) and the second side wall (50) being arranged substantially parallel to each other and the distance (d) between the first side wall (40) and the second side wall (50) being considerably smaller than the width (W) of the first side wall (40) and the second side wall (50) resulting in a substantially overall flat tubing structure with connection walls (45, 55) on both sides, the finned tubing element (10, 10′) having a plurality of fins (60, 60′) on at least one of the outer surfaces (42, 52) of the first side wall (40) and/or of the second side wall (50), wherein the fins (60, 60′) are angled with respect to the finned tubing element by two defining angles (γ, δ), wherein the first angle (γ) is an angle of the fins (60, 60′) with respect to the connection walls (45, 55) of the finned tubing element, wherein the second angle (δ) is the angle of the fins (60, 60′) with respect to the outer surfaces (42, 52) of the first side wall (40) or the second side wall (50), wherein the finned tubing element (10, 10′) is at least partially tilted, sloped, and at least partially helically wound and twisted so as to form at least a part of a helical structure, wherein the fins are twisted between endpoints of the fins along a flow direction and curved by an offset of a center part of a middle section of each fin with respect to the endpoints of each fin.

2. Finned tubing element (10, 10′) according to claim 1, wherein the helical structure has an overall cylindrical structure and/or that the helical structure is formed in a cylindrical shape.

3. Finned tubing element (10, 10′) according to claim 1, wherein the finned tubing element (10, 10′) has a plurality of fins (60, 60′) on both of the outer surfaces (42, 52) of the first side wall (40) and of the second side wall (50).

4. Heat exchanger (100, 100′) according to claim 3, further comprising a draining plate (80) between each pair of adjacent finned tubing elements.

5. Finned tubing element (10, 10′) according to claim 1, wherein the fins (60, 60′) are monoblock angled fins (60, 60′).

6. Finned tubing element (10, 10′) according to claim 1, wherein the angled fins (60, 60′) are substantially perpendicularly arranged on at least one of the outer surfaces (42, 52) of the first side wall (40) and/or of the second side wall (50).

7. Finned tubing element (10, 10′) according to claim 1, wherein the fins (60, 60′) are inclined arranged on the at least one of the outer surfaces (42, 52) of the first side wall (40) and/or of the second side wall (50), whereby the second angle (δ) between the fins (60, 60′) and the outer surface (42, 52) is chosen within a range of approximately 15° to 85°, and that the fins (60, 60′) and at least one of the connection walls (45, 55) are arranged such that they enclose the first angle (γ).

8. Finned tubing element (10, 10′) according to claim 1, wherein the fins (60) merely extend along the whole width (W) of at least one of the outer surfaces (42, 52) of the first side wall (40) and/or of the second side wall (50).

9. Finned tubing element (10, 10′) according to claim 1, wherein the fins (60, 60′) are arranged along a curve extending along the whole width (W) of at least one of the outer surfaces (42, 52) of the first side wall (40) and/or of the second side wall (50), whereby between the fins (60, 60′) is a pitch and the angled fins (60, 60′) are arranged in a plurality of substantially parallel rows along at least a part of the length of the finned tubing element (10′).

10. The use of a finned tubing element (10, 10′) according to claim 1 to manufacture at least partially a heat exchanger (100, 100′) by tilting, sloping and at least partially helically winding and twisting the finned tubing element (10, 10′) so as to form at least a part of a helical structure.

11. Method of manufacturing of a finned tubing element (10, 10′) according to claim 1, whereby the finned tubing element (10, 10′) is received by using an extrusion process of a heat transfer material, whereby the extrusion process is a single extrusion process and/or whereby preferably the heat transfer material is at least partially aluminium or copper or an alloy thereof.

12. Finned tubing element (10, 10′) according to claim 1, wherein the tilted, sloped and twisted finned tubing element has curved connection walls (45, 55) and surfaces (42, 52), whereby all surfaces of the finned tubing element and of the fins are curved.

13. Finned tubing element (10, 10′) according to claim 1, wherein a first distance (a) between two adjacent fins is larger than a second distance (b) between the adjacent fins and wherein the first distance (a) is at an entry section of gaps between the fins.

14. Finned tubing element (10, 10′) according to claim 1, further comprising collecting elements (25, 35) and tubular connectors (27, 37) at the first and second ends (20, 30) of the finned tubing elements (10, 10′).

15. Finned tubing element (10, 10′) according to claim 1, wherein the width (W) of the first side wall (40) and the second side wall (50) is approximately at least 10 times larger than the distance (d) between the first side wall (40) and the second side wall (50) and/or that the first side wall (40) and second side wall (50) are connected respectively on both sides by a rounded connection wall (45, 55).

16. Finned tubing element (10′) according to claim 1, wherein the fins (60′) are segmented with gaps (62).

17. Heat exchanger (100, 100′) having at least one finned tubing element (10, 10′), the finned tubing element (10, 10′) being at least partially a rigid elongated heat exchanger tubing having at least a first end (20) and at least a second end (30) and having a first side wall (40) and a second side wall (50), the first side wall (40) and the second side wall (50) being arranged substantially parallel to each other and the distance (d) between the first side wall (40) and the second side wall (50) being considerably smaller than the width (W) of the first side wall (40) and the second side wall (50) resulting in a substantially overall flat tubing structure with connection walls (45, 55) on both sides, the finned tubing element (10, 10′) having a plurality of angled fins (60, 60′) on at least one of the outer surfaces (42, 52) of the first side wall (40) and/or of the second side wall (50), wherein the fins (60, 60′) are angled with respect to the finned tubing element by two defining angles (γ, δ), wherein the first angle (γ) is an angle of the fins (60, 60′) with respect to the connection walls (45, 55) of the finned tubing element, wherein the second angle (δ) is the angle of the fins (60,60′) with respect to the outer surfaces (42, 52) of the first side wall (40) or the second side wall (50), wherein the finned tubing element (10, 10′) is at least partially tilted, sloped, and at least partially helically wound and twisted so as to form at least a part of a helical structure, wherein the fins are twisted between endpoints of the fins and curved by an offset of a center part of a middle section of each fin with respect to the endpoints of each fin.

18. Heat exchanger (100, 100′) according to claim 17, further comprising several finned tubing elements (10, 10′) forming an overall substantially cylindrical structure having a central longitudinal axis (X), and wherein the finned tubing elements (10, 10′) are spirally curved around the central longitudinal axis (X) and interleaved in the structure.

19. Heat exchanger (100, 100′) according to claim 17, wherein the heat exchanger (100, 100′) is a condenser or an evaporator or a radiator or a cooler.

20. The use of a heat exchanger (100, 100′) according to claim 17 to exchange heat and to use the heat exchanger (100, 100′) as a radiator or as a cooler as a condenser or as an evaporator.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of tubing element according to the present invention in a first embodiment.

(2) FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a tubing element according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

(3) FIG. 3 is a further perspective view of the tubing element shown in FIG. 2 showing the angles for the slope and the tilt of the tubing element.

(4) FIG. 4 shows the perspective view shown in FIG. 3 with further details.

(5) FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a tubing element according to the present invention and as shown in FIG. 2 together with connecting elements.

(6) FIG. 6 is a side elevation of the tubing element as shown in FIGS. 2 to 5.

(7) FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a heat exchanger comprising a plurality of tubing elements.

(8) FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a tubing element according to the present invention in a second embodiment.

(9) FIG. 9 is a perspective view in detail of embodiment shown in FIG. 8.

(10) FIGS. 10a and 10b are the perspective view of a draining plate and the respective tubing element thereto.

(11) FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a further embodiment of a heat exchanger comprising the draining plate and the tubing element according to FIGS. 10a and 10b.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(12) FIG. 1 shows the perspective view of a first embodiment of the tubing element 10, however, without fins 60 or fins 60′.

(13) The tubing element 10 is a rigid elongated heat exchanger tube having a first end 20 and a second end 30. There are relatively large parallel opposite side walls 40 and 50 with generally flat surfaces. The opposite parallel arranged side walls 40, 50 of the tubing element are joined with relatively small opposite edge walls 45, 55, which are rounded connection walls 45, 55. The tubing element 10 is partially tilted and sloped and also helically wound and twisted so as to form at least a part of a helical structure.

(14) The distance d between the first side wall 40 and the second side wall 50 is considerably smaller than the width W of the side walls 40, 50.

(15) There are relatively large parallel opposite side walls 40 and 50 with generally flat surfaces. The opposite parallel arranged side walls 40, 50 of the tubing element are joined with relatively small opposite edge walls 45, 55, which are rounded connection walls 45, 55. The tubing element 10 is partially tilted and sloped and also helically wound and twisted so as to form at least a part of a helical structure.

(16) The opposite side walls 40 and 50 of the heat exchanger microchannel tube 10 are oppositely disposed in general parallel planes in the helix within the tube 10 there may be one or more media flow channels, which are formed between the oppositely disposed side walls 40, 50. A heat transfer vapor or fluid such as water or oil or refrigerant fills the heat exchanger microchannel tube 10 and flows from one end 20 of the microchannel tube 10 to the other end 30. Preferably, the resulting helix of the microchannel tube 10 is formed in a cylindrical shape.

(17) FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of a first embodiment of the tubing element 10. On both outer surfaces 42, 52 of the first side wall 40 and the second side wall 50 several fins 60 are arranged.

(18) The fins 60 may be monoblock fins and are inclined arranged respective to the outer surface 42, 52 of the first side wall 40 and a second side wall 50. The angle between the fins and the outer surface 42, 52 is 22.5 degrees in this example. The fins 60 merely extend along the whole width W of the outer surfaces 42, 52 of the first side wall 40 and the second side wall 50.

(19) As can be seen e.g. in FIGS. 5 and 6, the fins 60 are slightly curved.

(20) FIG. 3 shows the defining angles, i.e. angle α1 defining a slope and angle β1 defining the tilt. Furthermore, FIG. 3 shows the defining axes X, Y and Z and also the radius r. The heat exchanger microchannel tube 10 may be longitudinally curved around the central axis X into a helix. This axis X is shown in FIG. 3 and is the central axis X of the overall and imaginary cylindrical shape of the helix.

(21) As can be seen in FIG. 3, the fins 60 follow the slope and the tilt.

(22) Angle α1 defining the slope is defined as the angle α1 between axis X and Z. Angle β1 defining the tilt is defined as to angle β1 between axis X and Y. As can be seen in FIG. 3, the radius r is the distance from axis X to the center of the angled finned tubing element 10 and/or to the intersection point of axis Y and axis Z.

(23) As can be further seen from FIG. 4, the fins 60 have two defining angles and δ. The angle is the angle which is enclosed by the fins 60 and the connection walls 45, 55 as also shown in FIGS. 2, 5 and 8. The angle δ is the angle of the fin 60 and the outer surface 42, 52 of the first side wall 40 or the second side wall 50.

(24) As can be seen from the further detail shown in FIG. 4, the first distance a between two adjacent fins 60 may be larger than a second distance b of these adjacent fins 60. The first distance a may be used in the entry section of the gap defined by two adjacent fins 60, i.e. the section for the entry of a heat transfer media flowing through the fins. So, the fins 60 are substantially parallel.

(25) The fins 60 according to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 2 to 6 are arranged on angles between 22.5 and 45 degrees to the outer surfaces 42, 52 of the first side wall 40 and of the second side wall 50.

(26) This is, however, not mandatory. Alternatively, the fins 60 may be inclined arranged on the at least one of the outer surfaces 42, 52 of the first side wall 40 and/or of the second side wall 50, whereby exemplarily the angle between the fins 60 and the outer surface 42 or 52 may be chosen within a range of approximately 15° to 85°.

(27) The fins 60 merely extend along the whole width W of the outer surfaces 42, 52 of the first side wall 40 and/or of the second side wall 50 and are slightly curved.

(28) Further, the fins 60 are arranged in a plurality of parallel rows substantially along the whole length of the tubing element 10.

(29) The fins 60 and the connection walls 45, 55 are arranged such to each other that they enclose an angle γ.

(30) However, this angle γ may be substantially perpendicular. Alternatively, this angle γ may be chosen within range of about 15° to about 60° and may be preferably chosen within a range of about 20° to about 25°. An angle γ of about 45° between the fins 60 at least one of the connection walls 45, 55 is considered to be substantially neutral, in particular as a neutral arrangement with respect to the interference with e.g. fans or the like, which are connected or used together with a heat exchanger comprising such a tubing element 10.

(31) The fins 60 are formed slightly concave or convex, which is, however, not mandatory. In particular, the slightly concave or convex shape of the fins 60 may be achieved by an offset of the center part of the middle section of the fins 60 with respect to the endpoints of the fins 60 within a range of about 0.5 mm to about 5 mm, preferably of about 1 mm to about 2 mm, most preferred of about 1.5 mm. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the offset of the center part of the middle section of the fins 60 with respect to the endpoints of the fins 60 is about 1 mm.

(32) The fins 60 are arranged such that the medium flowing against the fins flows against a concave formed part of the fin.

(33) Furthermore, the fins 60 according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 have a height of about 2.5 mm. Generally, the fins 60 may have a height chosen within a range of about 0.5 mm to about 5.0 mm, preferably about 2-3 mm.

(34) At the ends 20, 30 of the tubing element 10 collecting elements 25, 35 are provided, which reduce width of the tubing element 10 to a broader diameter, i.e. the diameter of the tubular connectors of circular cross-sections 27, 37.

(35) FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a heat exchanger 100 comprising a plurality of a first set of interlaced tilted helical microchannel tubing elements 10 with adjacent tilted and twisted similarly helically formed tubing elements 10 and a respective second set S2 inside of the first set S1. By this, a compact structure together with an increased surface for heat exchange is received.

(36) FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the second embodiment of the tubing element according to the present invention. The second embodiment of the tubing element 10′ is merely the same as the one shown in FIGS. 2 to 6. However, a different kind of fins is used, i.e. fins 60′. The fins 60′ are arranged along a curve extending substantially the whole width W of at least one of the outer surfaces 42, 52 of the sidewall 40 and sidewall 50 and as can be seen from FIG. 9, between each fins 60′ arranged along one curve a gap is provided. The fins 60′ are arranged in a plurality of rows which are arranged parallel.

(37) The fins 60′ are according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 8 arranged on an angle of 22.5 degrees to the outer surfaces 42, 52 of the first side wall 40 and of the second side wall 50.

(38) Alternatively, the fins 60′ may be inclined arranged on at least one of the outer surfaces 42, 52 of the first side wall 40 and/or of the second side wall 50, whereby exemplarily the angle between the fins 60′ and the outer surface 40, 50 is substantially perpendicular.

(39) Furthermore, the fins 60′ are arranged along a curve extending along the whole width W of the outer surfaces 42, 52 of the first side wall 40 and/or of the second side wall 50 and are also curved, whereby between the fins 60′ being arranged along a curve is a gap 62.

(40) It is possible that the fins 60′ and the curve of fins 60′ and the connection walls 45, 55 are arranged such to each other that they enclose an angle γ.

(41) However, this angle γ may be substantially perpendicular. Alternatively, this angle γ may be chosen within range of about 15° to about 60° and may be preferably chosen within a range of about 20° to about 25°. An angle γ of about 45° between the fins 60 at least one of the connection walls 45, 55 is considered to be substantially neutral, in particular as a neutral arrangement with respect to the interference with e.g. fans or the like, which may be connected or used together with a heat exchanger comprising such a tubing element 10.

(42) The fins 60′ and the curve of fins 60′ is formed slightly concave. In particular, the slightly concave shape of the fins 60′ is achieved by an offset of the center part of the middle section of the fins 60′ and the curve of fins 60′ with respect to the endpoints of the fins 60′ and the curve of fins 60′ within a range of about 0.5 mm to about 5 mm, preferably of about 1 mm to about 2 mm, most preferred of about 1.5 mm.

(43) The fins 60′ are arranged such that the medium flowing against the fins 60′ flows against a concave formed part of the fins 60′.

(44) Furthermore, the fins 60′ according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 8 have a height of about 3 mm. Generally, the fins 60′ may have a height chosen within a range of about 0.5 mm to about 5.0 mm, preferably about 2-3 mm.

(45) The curves of fins 60′ are arranged in a plurality of substantially parallel rows along the tubing element.

(46) FIG. 9 is showing in detail embodiment of a tube 10′ with fins 60′ as shown in FIG. 8 and having a plurality of microchannels 70 with a square cross-section.

(47) FIG. 10a shows in a perspective view a draining plate 80 which is tilted and helically wound such that it can be attached to the helically wound heat exchanger microchannel tube 10 as shown in FIG. 10b.

(48) As can be further seen from FIG. 11, several draining plates 80 and heat exchanger tubes 10 may be arranged to a heat exchanger 100 comprising a plurality of interlaced sloped and tilted helically wound microchannel tubing elements 10 and draining plates 80 between each of the pair of adjacent tubing elements 10.

(49) The use of draining plates 80 is preferred in cases where the heat exchanger 100 is an evaporator.

(50) While the invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments, modifications and variations of the invention may be constructed without departing from the scope of the invention, which is defined in the following claims.