RU2433894C2 - Flat tube, heat exchanger of flat tubes and method of their manufacturing - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: technological processes.

SUBSTANCE: invention may be used to manufacture heat exchangers of tubes of flat shape with a channel for a flow that have low thickness of the wall. The flat tube may be formed from at least one sheet of aluminium alloy and has the first, second and third layers. The aluminium alloy of the third layer is anode relative to the aluminium alloy of the second layer, and in the second layer it is anode relative to the aluminium alloy of the first layer, at the same time the third layer is more resistant to silicon diffusion compared to the second layer. A rib is soldered with a solid braze to the wall of the flat tube by means of the fourth layer that contains a solid braze material. The wall and the layer of the material of solid braze has common thickness of not more than approximately 0.15 mm. When soldering with a solid braze, time or temperature of soldering is controlled provided there is diffusion of silicon via the third layer of the wall near to the material of the solid braze into the second layer of the wall to the depth that is less than its full thickness, to form accumulation of an intermetallic compound containing silicon.

EFFECT: high-quality soldered joints of tubes formed from the specified aluminium sheets ensure high resistance of heat exchangers to pitting corrosion.

24 cl, 96 dwg

Description

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In some embodiments, the present invention is a heat exchanger comprising a tube body defining a flow channel and having at least one wall, the wall having a first layer containing aluminum alloy, a second layer containing aluminum alloy having accumulations an intermetallic compound including silicon and a third layer containing metallic material that is anodic to the second layer and which is more resistant to silicon diffusion than the second layer th, the second layer being placed between the first and third layers, and the rib soldered to the tube body wall by means of the fourth layer containing the solder material, the third layer being placed between the second and fourth layers, and the wall and the layer of solder material have a combined a thickness of not more than about 0.15 mm.

The present invention also provides a heat exchanger including a tube body defining a flow channel and having at least one wall, the wall having first, second and third layers, each of which contains an aluminum alloy, the second layer being placed between the first and third layers, the aluminum alloy of the third layer is anode relative to the aluminum alloy of the second layer, and the aluminum alloy of the second layer is anode relative to the aluminum alloy of the first layer, the third layer being is much more resistant to silicon diffusion than the second layer, and the object is brazed to the wall of the tube body by means of a fourth layer containing solder material, the third layer being placed between the second and fourth layers, and the wall and layer of solder material have a combined a thickness of not more than about 0.15 mm.

In addition, the present invention is a method of forming a heat exchanger, comprising the steps of forming a tube from at least one sheet of aluminum alloy, forming a rib, brazing the ribs to an aluminum alloy sheet using a brazing material, the aluminum alloy sheet and the solder material forms a wall having a thickness of not more than about 0.15 mm, diffusion of silicon through the first layer of the wall next to the material of the solder and into the adjacent core a aluminum alloy to a core depth less than the full thickness of the core, the first layer being placed between the brazing material and the adjacent core, and controlling at least one of the brazing time and the brazing temperature to braze the rib during the formation of accumulations intermetallic compounds containing silicon only in the second layer of the wall formed by the depth of the core next to the first layer, and not in the third layer formed by leaving the neck of the core.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Figure 1 is a side view of a tube according to some embodiments of the present invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged view of the end of the tube shown in figure 1;

Figure 3 is a schematic illustration of exemplary manufacturing steps that can be used to form the tube shown in figure 1;

Figure 4 is an enlarged view of the narrow side of the tube shown in figure 1;

Figure 5 is another enlarged view of the narrow side shown in figure 1;

6 is an enlarged view of the narrow side of the tube according to another embodiment of the present invention;

7 is an enlarged view of the narrow side of a tube according to another another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of the narrow side of a tube according to yet another embodiment of the present invention; FIG.

FIG. 9 is an enlarged view of the narrow side of a tube according to another embodiment of the present invention; FIG.

Figure 10 is an enlarged view of the narrow side of the tube according to another another embodiment of the present invention;

11 is a narrow side of a tube according to another another embodiment of the present invention;

12 is an enlarged view of a portion of a tube including internal limb according to another embodiment of the present invention;

13 is an enlarged view of a portion of a tube including internal limb according to yet another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 14 is an enlarged view of a portion of a tube including an insert according to another another embodiment of the present invention; FIG.

FIG. 15 is an enlarged view of a portion of a tube including an insert according to another embodiment of the present invention; FIG.

FIG. 16 is a schematic illustration of exemplary manufacturing steps that can be used to form a tube including first and second parts formed from a common fragment of a bendable material; FIG.

FIG. 17 is an enlarged view of a tube including first and second parts formed from a common fragment of a bendable material, according to yet another embodiment of the present invention; FIG.

Fig. 18 is an enlarged view of a tube including first and second parts formed from a common fragment of a folding material, according to another embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 19 is a side view of a tube including first and second parts formed from a common fragment of a bendable material, according to another another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 20 is a side view of a tube including first and second parts formed from a common fragment of a folding material, according to yet another embodiment of the present invention; FIG.

21 is a side view of a tube including first and second parts formed from a common fragment of a folding material, according to another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 22 is a side view of a tube including first and second parts formed from a common fragment of a folding material, according to yet another embodiment of the present invention; FIG.

23 is a side view of a tube including first and second parts formed from a common fragment of a folding material, according to yet another embodiment of the present invention;

24 is an enlarged view of a tube including first and second parts formed from a common fragment of a folding material, according to another embodiment of the present invention;

25 is an exploded view of a tube including a first and second tube and an insert disposed between the first and second part, according to some embodiments of the present invention;

Fig. 26 is an exploded view of the tube shown in Fig. 25;

FIG. 27 is an exploded view of a tube including a first and second tube and an insert disposed between the first and second part, according to yet another embodiment of the present invention; FIG.

Fig. 28 is an exploded view of a tube including a first and second tube and an insert disposed between the first and second part, according to yet another embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 29 is an exploded view of a portion of the tube shown in Fig. 28;

FIG. 30 is a side view of a tube including a first and second part and an insert disposed between the first and second parts, according to yet another embodiment of the present invention; FIG.

Fig. 31 is an exploded view of a portion of the tube shown in Fig. 30;

32A is a side view of a tube including first and second parts and an insert disposed between the first and second parts, according to yet another embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 32B is an exploded view of a portion of the tube shown in Fig. 32A;

Fig. 33 is a side view of a portion of a tube including portions and an insert disposed between the first and second portions, according to another embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 34 is an illustration of ten embodiments of tubes according to some embodiments of the present invention;

Fig. 35 is a side view of a tube according to some embodiments of the present invention;

Fig. 36 is a side view of the inner insert for the tube shown in Fig. 35;

Fig. 37 is a plan view of the inner insert shown in Fig. 36;

Fig. 38 is a perspective view of a portion of the inner insert shown in Fig. 35;

Fig. 39 is a side view of a tube according to some embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 40 is an enlarged perspective view of an inner insert for the tube shown in FIG. 39;

Fig. 41 is a perspective view of a portion of the inner insert shown in Fig. 40;

Fig. 42 is an enlarged perspective view of the inner insert shown in Fig. 40;

Fig. 43 is a plan view of a portion of an inner tube insert according to some embodiments of the present invention;

Fig. 44 is a side view of an insert according to an embodiment of the present invention shown inside an empty shell of a flat tube;

Fig. 45 is a side view of another insert according to an embodiment of the present invention, shown inside an empty shell of a flat tube;

Fig. 46 is a schematic illustration of exemplary manufacturing steps that can be used to form a tube according to some embodiments of the present invention;

Fig. 47 is a partial exploded side view of the tube of Fig. 46;

48 is a schematic illustration of exemplary manufacturing steps that can be used to form a tube according to some embodiments of the present invention;

Fig. 49 is a production line of roller presses that can be used to make tubes according to some embodiments of the present invention;

Fig. 50 is a schematic illustration of exemplary manufacturing steps that can be used to form a tube according to some embodiments of the present invention;

Fig. 51 is a schematic illustration of exemplary manufacturing steps that can be used to form a tube according to other embodiments of the present invention;

Fig. 52 is a schematic illustration of exemplary manufacturing steps that can be used to form a tube in accordance with yet other embodiments of the present invention;

Fig. 53 is a schematic illustration of exemplary manufacturing steps that can be used to form a tube in accordance with yet other embodiments of the present invention;

Fig. 54 is a schematic illustration of exemplary manufacturing steps that can be used to form a tube according to other embodiments of the present invention;

Fig. 55 is a schematic illustration of a production line that can be used to make tubes according to some embodiments of the present invention;

Fig. 55A is a sectional view showing a perforating station of the production line shown in Fig. 55;

Fig. 55B is a side view showing the punching station shown in Fig. 55A;

Fig. 55C is a cross-sectional view showing a muller roller and a core of the production line shown in Fig. 55;

Fig. 55D is a side view of the mulberry roll and the core of the production line shown in Fig. 55;

Fig. 56 is a side view of the section of the punching station shown in Fig. 55A;

Fig. 57A is a side view showing a sheet of material passing through a section of the punching station shown in Fig. 55A;

Figv is a top view showing a sheet of material passing through the section of the punching station shown in figa;

Fig. 58 is a side view of the mulberry roll and the core of the production line shown in Fig. 55;

Fig.59 is a sequence of schematic end views of the production line shown in Fig.55, illustrated at various stages of the formation of a flat tube with an insert;

Fig. 60 is a schematic top view of a portion of the bending roller of the production line shown in Fig. 55;

Fig. 60A is an end view of a portion of the bending roller shown in Fig. 60;

Fig. 61 is a schematic end view of a production line of finned flat tubes according to an embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 62 is an exploded view of a heat exchanger having finned flat tubes according to an embodiment of the present invention;

63A-C are partial views of rib sets according to various embodiments of the present invention;

Fig. 64 is a schematic end view of a finned tube manufacturing process according to an embodiment of the present invention;

Fig.65 is a side view in perspective of part of the production process shown in Fig.64;

Fig. 66 is a detailed view of a heat exchanger having finned flat tubes according to an embodiment of the present invention;

67 is a detailed view of a flat tube that can be used in the manufacture of a finned flat tube according to an embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 68 is a detailed side view of a heat exchanger having finned flat tubes, according to another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 69 is a detailed perspective view of a portion of the heat exchanger shown in FIG.

70 is a side view of a collection tank according to an embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 70A is an end view of the collection tank shown in Fig. 70;

Fig. 71 is a detailed view of a heat exchanger having a collection tank illustrated in Figs. 70 and 70A;

Fig. 72 is a perspective view of a collection tank according to another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 73 is a detailed perspective view of a heat exchanger having a collection tank illustrated in FIG. 72;

Fig. 74 is another detailed perspective view of the heat exchanger shown in Fig. 73;

Fig.75 is a detailed perspective view of the collection tank shown in Fig.72;

Fig.76 is another detailed view of a heat exchanger having a collection tank, illustrated in Fig.70-71;

Fig.77 is a vertical view of the heat exchanger shown in Fig.71 and 76;

78 is a detailed side view of a heat exchanger having a collection tank according to another embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 79 is a detailed end view of the heat exchanger shown in Fig. 78;

Fig. 80 is a detailed side view of the collection tank of the heat exchanger illustrated in Figs. 79 and 79;

Figa - end view of the collection tank shown in Fig.78-80;

Fig is a detailed side view of a heat exchanger having a collection tank, according to another variant implementation of the present invention;

82 is a detailed side view of a heat exchanger having a collection tank according to another embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 83 is a detailed side view of the collection tank of the heat exchanger illustrated in Fig. 81;

84 is a flowchart of a heat exchanger manufacturing process according to an embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 84A is a schematic view of a heat exchanger manufactured according to the flowchart of Fig. 84;

Fig. 85 is an exploded perspective view of a heat exchanger according to another embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 86 is an exploded perspective view of a heat exchanger according to another embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 87 is an end view of the flat tube of the heat exchanger illustrated in Fig. 86;

FIG. 88 is an exploded perspective view of a heat exchanger according to another embodiment of the present invention; FIG.

Fig - end views of alternative embodiments of a flat tube according to the present invention;

Fig. 90 is an exploded perspective view of a heat exchanger according to another embodiment of the present invention;

Fig - views of a flat tube according to another variant implementation of the present invention, shown at various stages of formation;

92-95 illustrate methods for connecting parts of a heat exchanger according to some embodiments of the present invention; and

Fig. 96 is a graph illustrating a diffusion depth of silicon for heat exchangers connected in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Prior to a detailed description of various embodiments, it should be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of the structure and arrangement of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The invention admits other embodiments and can be practiced or carried out in various ways. In addition, it should be understood that the language and terminology used in this document are for description only and should not be construed as limiting. The use of “including”, “comprising” or “having” and their variants is intended to include the elements listed below and their equivalents, as well as additional elements. Unless otherwise indicated or limited, the terms “installed”, “connected”, “supported” and “attached” and their variants are used in this document in a broad sense and include direct and indirect installations, connections, supports and communications. Additionally, “connected” and “attached” are not limited to physical or mechanical connections or attachments.

As described in more detail below, many embodiments of the present invention relate to or are based on the use of tubes having a substantially flat cross-sectional shape taken along a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the tube. In particular, each such tube may have a larger size and a smaller size perpendicular to the larger size. These dimensions are sometimes referred to herein as “diameters”, although the use of the word diameter is not intended to solely indicate and imply that the feature is circular, spherical or otherwise in a suitable shape. On the contrary, the term "diameter" is used only to refer to a larger tube size in the indicated direction and position. Each such tube may have two opposing walls forming the front surfaces of the tube (referred to herein as the “wide sides of the tube), and two shorter and more stable walls (referred to herein as the“ narrow sides of the tube) connecting wide sides. The narrow and wide sides of the tube together form an internal space through which the fluid can flow in any state, including, without limitation, gas, liquid, steam, and any combination of the above, at any pressure or vacuum (including without pressure) and vacuum).

Another feature of flat tubes used in many embodiments of the present invention (described in more detail below) is the relatively small thickness of the material used to make up at least some of the walls of the flat tubes. In some embodiments, the wall material of the flat tubes has a thickness of not more than about 0.20 mm (0.007874 inches). In yet other embodiments, the wall material of the flat tubes has a thickness of no greater than about 0.15 mm (0.0059055 inches). The relatively small thickness of the wall material can lead to good thermal properties of flat tubes. In addition, by using one or more of the features of flat tubes described herein, it has been found that a number of different flat tubes having different characteristics adapted to a variety of applications can be constructed using a much smaller volume of material while maintaining the strength and heat transfer properties heavier traditional flat tubes. In some embodiments, a wall thickness of flat tubes of at least about 0.050 mm (i.e., at least about 0.0019685 inches) can be used, provides excellent strength and corrosion resistance, while in other embodiments, the wall thickness of the flat tubes at least approximately 0.030 mm (0.00118 inches).

As explained in more detail below, the heat exchanger tubes and other parts of the heat exchangers described herein can be manufactured using a number of manufacturing methods and processes and may include signs of corrosion protection, such as, for example, the methods and processes described below and illustrated in FIG. .92-95. A number of manufacturing processes and techniques and the corrosion protection features mentioned below are particularly advantageous when applied to heat exchanger tubes and parts of heat exchangers having a significantly thinner material thickness. In addition, these methods, processes and signs of corrosion protection provide significant advantages associated with the overall efficiency of flat tubes and heat exchangers made of such a material.

Many embodiments of the present invention use flat tubes having larger and smaller diameters, as described above (denoted by D and d, respectively, in the following text), which provide unique advantages in many applications. When used, for example, together with the material thickness just described and together with other features of the flat tubes described in various embodiments below, flat tubes adapted for a number of different applications can be made. In addition, the ability to produce flat tubes having larger and smaller dimensions D, d described herein is simplified by using the relatively thin wall material described above.

For example, in some embodiments of the present invention, the larger dimension D (i.e., the width of the flat tube in the embodiments illustrated herein) is not less than about 10 mm (0.39370 inches). In addition, the larger dimension D does not exceed approximately 100 mm (3.9370 inches) in some embodiments. In other embodiments, the larger D dimension does not exceed about 200 mm (7.87402 inches). As another example, in some embodiments of the present invention, the smaller diameter d (i.e., the thickness of the flat tube in the embodiments illustrated herein) is not less than about 0.7 mm (0.02756 inches). In addition, this smaller dimension d does not exceed about 10 mm (0.39370 inches) in some embodiments. In other embodiments, a smaller d dimension does not exceed about 7 mm (0.2756 inches). These larger and smaller sizes apply to any of the flat tube embodiments described and / or illustrated herein.

In many embodiments, the larger and smaller sizes D, d depend, at least in part, on flat tube applications. For example, in applications as capacitors, a larger flat tube diameter D of at least about 10 mm (0.39370 inches) in some embodiments. Also, the larger diameter D of the flat tube in some applications as capacitors is not more than about 20 mm (0.78740 inches). A smaller diameter d for some flat tube applications as capacitors of at least about 10 mm (0.039370 inches). In addition, the smaller diameter d of the flat tube in some applications as capacitors is not more than about 2.0 mm (0.078740 inches). As another example, in applications as radiators, a larger flat tube diameter D of at least about 10 mm (0.39370 inches) in some embodiments. Also, the larger diameter D of the flat tube in some applications as radiators is not more than about 200 mm (7.8740 inches). A smaller diameter d for some flat tube applications as radiators is at least about 0.7 mm (0.027559 inches). Also, the smaller diameter d of the flat tube in some applications as radiators is not more than about 2.0 mm (0.078740 inches). As another example, in embodiments used as charge intermediate cooling heat exchangers, a larger flat tube diameter D of at least about 20 mm (0.78740 inches) in some embodiments. Also, the larger diameter D of the flat tube, in some applications as charge intercoolers, is not greater than about 160 mm (6.29921 inches). A smaller diameter d for some applications as intermediate heat exchangers for flat tube charge of at least 4.0 mm (0.15748 inches). Also, the smaller diameter d of the flat tube in some applications as charge intercoolers is no more than about 10.0 mm (0.39370 inches).

Still other applications for flat tubes according to any of the embodiments described herein include oil coolers. In applications as oil coolers, a larger flat tube diameter D of at least about 10 mm (0.49470 inches) in some embodiments. Also, the larger diameter D of the flat tube in some applications as oil coolers is not more than about 150 mm (5.90551 inches). A smaller diameter d for some flat tube applications as oil coolers is at least about 1.5 mm (0.05906 inches). Also, the smaller diameter d of the flat tube in some applications as oil coolers is not more than about 4.0 mm (0.15748 inches). As another example, in applications as evaporators, a larger flat tube diameter D of at least about 30 mm (1.18110 inches) in some embodiments. Also, the larger diameter D of the flat tube in some applications as evaporators is not more than about 75 mm (2.95276 inches). Smaller diameter d for some flat tube applications as evaporators of at least 1.0 mm (0.039370 in). In addition, the smaller diameter d of the flat tube in some applications as evaporators is not more than about 2.0 mm (0.078740 inches). It should be noted that additional applications (eg, gas coolers) of the flat tubes described and illustrated herein are possible and all fall within the scope and scope of the present invention.

Many of the flat tube embodiments described below and illustrated herein are made of metal including aluminum (e.g., aluminum or an aluminum alloy). However, instead, a number of other types of metals can be used to provide the strength, heat transfer, and processability characteristics required for use in heat transfer devices. In some embodiments, the metallic material of the flat tubes is provided with a brazing coating. The solder coating can have a number of different possible thicknesses, and in some cases it is at least about 10% of the wall material thickness of the flat tubes to form good performance results. In addition, in some embodiments, the solder coating comprises no more than about 30% of the wall material thickness of the flat tubes. In other embodiments, where the flat tubes should be soldered rather than brazed, the metal material of the flat tubes may be coated with a soft solder. A number of different fastening operations (hard solder, welding, soft solder, etc.) can be used to construct any of a variety of assemblies of flat tubes and heat exchangers described and / or illustrated herein. However, portions of the following text refer only to brazing alloy, although it should be understood that other fastening operations (including welding and soft soldering) are equally applicable in such embodiments.

Many of the features of the flat tubes mentioned above refer to the construction of the walls of the tubes using a relatively thin sheet material. In some embodiments, significant improvements in the performance of thin-walled flat tubes are formed by providing one or both of the stable narrow sides with bends that are substantially perpendicular or substantially parallel to the wide sides of the flat tube. These bends can be formed, for example, by rolling or bending adjacent longitudinal edges of the sheet metal onto or into each other. In those embodiments of the present invention in which one or both narrow sides of the flat tube have bends that are substantially parallel to the wide sides of the flat tube, such bends may have the same or different lengths relative to each other. As also described in more detail below, the bends on the narrow lateral sides of the flat tube may be shaped so as to seize or engage with each other, that is, a feature that may be useful in the manufacture of a flat tube and / or heat exchanger using a flat tube.

In many of the following embodiments, flat tubes are disclosed having bent narrow sides and also having other bends and or deformations formed inside the flat tubes. In production, bends that form narrow sides can be created after manufacturing such other bends and / or deformations, although other manufacturing alternatives are also possible. In addition, it should be noted that the bends formed in a flat tube may be several bends, and in some embodiments, they are placed tightly or adjacent to each other.

A first embodiment of a flat tube 10 according to the present invention is illustrated in FIGS. 1-5. The flat tube 10 consists of two parts of a sheet material 12, 14 having such a shape as to form internal flow channels 16. Each of the two parts 12, 14 can be formed from one endless strip of material or a roll passing through a production line having a device for cutting material (for example, a laser, a saw, a stream of water, a blade, etc.) to form two strips, which are then connected as described below. Alternatively, two parts 12, 14 may be formed of two endless strips of material or rolls passing through the production line. In any case, the production line may be equipped with two sets of rolls (as illustrated by way of example below) or other sheet forming elements to form strips, as described in more detail below. When used in this document and the attached claims, the term "endless" does not mean literally that the element or product referred to has an unlimited supply. On the contrary, the term "infinite" means only that the material or product is taken from a much larger supply of continuous material in some higher volumetric form, for example, in the supply rolls of the material.

Although the parts 12, 14 may have a thickness falling within any of the ranges described above, the parts 12, 14 in the illustrated embodiment of FIGS. 1-5 have wall thicknesses of, for example, approximately 0.10 mm (0.0039369 inches). In some embodiments, parts 12, 14 include material formed from aluminum or an aluminum alloy. However, in other embodiments, other part materials (described above) may be used instead. Either or both sides of the parts 12, 14 may be coated with a brazing coating, such as a brazing coating layer, which is about 10-30% of the thickness of the part.

As shown in FIG. 2, the flat tube 10 of the illustrated embodiment forms a small diameter d. When using the wall thickness described previously, a small diameter d of at least about 0.8 mm (0.031496 inches) provides good performance results in many applications. Also, when using the wall thickness described above, a small diameter d of not more than about 2.0 mm (0.07874 inches) provides good performance results in many applications. However, in many embodiments, the maximum small tube diameter d is not more than about 1.5 mm (0.059055 inches). As shown in FIG. 1, the flat tube 10 of the illustrated embodiment forms a large diameter D. Using the wall thickness described previously, a large diameter D of at least about 40 mm (1.5748 in) provides good performance results in many applications. Also, using the wall thickness described above, a large diameter D of not more than about 45 mm (1.7717 inches) provides good performance results in many applications. However, it is possible for the flat tube 10 to form a large diameter D and a small diameter d with other sizes, including the dimensions described above with reference to all the flat tubes disclosed herein, at least in part based on the manufacturing processes used, the target embodiment the use of tubes and / or the use of thicker or thinner wall materials. For this purpose, parts 12, 14 of a specific width are available, and the production line settings can be adjusted according to the required diameters D and d.

The flat tube 10 in the illustrated embodiment of FIGS. 1-5 includes a first narrow side 18, a second narrow side 20, a first wide side 22 and a second wide side 24. A first wide side 22 and a second wide side 24 correspond to parts 12 and 14, respectively. In particular, as shown in FIG. 1, the first wide side 22 and the second wide side 24 form a plurality of folds 28. The folds 28 extend from the first wide side 22 and the second wide side 24 so as to form four flow channels 16 . In other embodiments, the flat tube 10 may include more or less flow channels 16 defined between the folds 28. Although the folds 28 may extend in an uninterrupted and constant manner along the entire length of the flat pipe 10 to isolate the flow channels 16 from each other. However, in other embodiments, the folds 28 may be interrupted or torn in one or more places along the length to allow flow between the flow channels 16. Regardless of whether the bends 28 are continuous or interrupted, the bends 28 can reinforce the flat tube 10 with respect to compression and can strengthen the flat tube 10 with respect to expansion in those embodiments in which the distal ends of the bends 28 are attached to the wide side 24 of the flat tube 10 (for example, using solder or any other appropriate method). The bends 28 can also provide a stiffness function to withstand the bending of the flat tube 10.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the first flat side 22 and the second flat side 24 also form a series of protrusions 26. In other embodiments, none of the sides 22, 24 has such protrusions 26. The illustrated protrusions are generally convex columns included in the channels 16 for the flow of a flat tube 10, and can have any desired supporting surface, for example a circular supporting surface, square, rectangular or other polygonal supporting surface (for example, elongated flanges extending along any desired length to flow channels extending transversely to the flow channels, etc.), an abnormal abutment surface or abutment surface of any other shape (for example, serpentine, zigzag, chevron, etc.). When used, the protrusions 26 can serve to cause or resist turbulence of the flat tube 10, thereby increasing heat transfer at these points. Furthermore, similarly to the folds 28 described above, the protrusions 26 can perform a stiffening function to help stiffen the wide sides 22, 24 of the flat tube 10. The protrusions 26 can be placed in any template or without a template in the flat pipe 10 and in some embodiments implementations are placed only in specific areas of the flow channels 16 to form the desired flow and heat transfer effects.

FIG. 3 schematically illustrates a set of exemplary manufacturing steps that can be used to form a flat tube 10, such as illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2, 4 and 5. Starting with the first part of the material 12 forming the width W, and the second part of the material 14, forming a smaller width w, the required number of bends 28 is formed and helps to form channels 16 for flow. The folds 28 in the illustrated embodiment are formed on both parts 12, 14. In other embodiments, the folds 28 are formed in only one of the parts 12, 14. Similarly, the protrusions 26 in the illustrated embodiment are formed on both parts 12, 14, although in other embodiments the protrusions 26 are formed in only one of the parts 12, 14. The folds 28 and the protrusions 26 are located between the longitudinal edges of the material forming the parts 12, 14 (for example, the longitudinal edges of the sheet metal forming the parts 12, 14).

The width W of the first part 12 and the width w of the second part 14 in the illustrated embodiment of FIGS. 1-5 decrease during the formation of folds 28 and protrusions 26. It should be understood that other deformations may be included in the example manufacturing steps of FIG. 3, so that to form other signs of a flat tube 10 as required. With continued reference to the manufacturing example of FIG. 3, an additional set of folds 30 is formed in each of the longitudinal edges of the parts 12, 14 after the formation of the required folds 28 and protrusions 26, thereby forming the narrow sides 18 and 20 of the flat tube 10. In other embodiments, either or both of the additional sets of folds 30 can be formed before or at the same time as the folds 28 and protrusions 26, although the process illustrated in FIG. 3 can provide significant manufacturing advantages based on setting up and operating tween line. As best illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, the additional folds 30 of each of the parts 12, 14 engage with each other to form a first narrow side 18 and a second narrow side 20 of the tube, respectively. As a result of this engagement between the longitudinal edges of the parts 12, 14 of the two-piece tube 10, the parts 12, 14 can be held together even until the solder or other fastening operations of the parts 12, 14. In particular, FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate the bends 30 of the part 14, forming a longer length than the bends 30 of the other part 12. Thus, the bends 30 of one part 12 can be bent around the bends 14 of the other part, as also shown in FIG.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1-5, in some embodiments, one of the parts 12 is long enough to wrap around and thereby take the longitudinal edge of the other part 14 (for example, by means of which the longitudinal edge of the part 14 is inserted into the folded longitudinal edge of the other parts 12). In other embodiments, one of the parts 12 is instead long enough only to overlap the longitudinal edges of the other part 14.

However, the embodiments described above with reference to FIGS. 1-5 can provide sufficient advantages related to the assembly and manufacture of the flat tube 10, including the holding capacity of the parts 12, 14, as described above, and a large degree of reinforcement and strength of the narrow the sides based on the greater thickness of the material along the narrow sides 18, 20. In the illustrated embodiment of FIGS. 1-5, both narrow sides 18, 20 are provided with one bending structure, best shown in FIGS. 2-5. However, in other embodiments, only one of the two narrow sides 18, 20 of the flat tube 10 has any of the bending structures described above. In these embodiments, the connection between the two parts 12, 14 in the other narrow side 20, 18 can be made in any other suitable way.

6-11 illustrate alternative designs of flat tubes according to additional embodiments of the present invention. These embodiments use virtually the same structure and have many of the same properties as the flat tube embodiments described above with reference to FIGS. 1-5. Accordingly, the following description is primarily oriented to the structure and features that differ from the embodiments described above with reference to FIGS. 1-5. Reference should be made to the description of FIGS. 1-5 for additional information regarding the structure and features, as well as possible alternatives to the structure and features of the flat tubes illustrated in FIGS. 6-11 and described below. The structure and features of the embodiments shown in Figs. .

6-11 illustrate other designs of the narrow side 118, 218, 318, 418, 518, 618 and / or 120, 220, 320, 420, 520, 620. For ease of description, reference is made only to one of the narrow the sides 118, 218, 318, 418, 518, 618 of each tube 110, 210, 310, 410, 510, 610, it being understood that the other narrow side 120, 220, 320, 420, 520, 620 may, if necessary have the same or different structure. The narrow sides 118, 218, 318, 418, 518, 618 shown in FIGS. 6-11 can be manufactured using steps similar to those described above with reference to FIG. 3. Moreover, each of the narrow sides 118, 218, 318, 418, 518, 618 shown in FIGS. 6-11 provides strength and / or stability to the tube 110, 210, 310, 410, 510, 610 compared to traditional flat tube structures, taking into account the relatively small thickness of the material used to make the walls of the tube in some embodiments: approximately 0.050-0.15 mm (0.0019685-0.0059055 inches) in some embodiments described above, and approximately 0.030-0.15 mm (0.00118-0.0059055 inches) in other embodiments, and other ranges The material thicknesses described in this document.

The narrow sides 118, 218, 418 of the flat tubes 110, 210, 310 shown in FIGS. 6, 7 and 9 can be formed by bending or rolling together adjacent longitudinal edges of the two parts 12 112, 212, 412 and 114, 214, 414 tubes, thereby forming a series of folds 130, 230, 330, 430, 530, 630. It should be noted that the shapes are referred to in this document and the attached claims as “folds” regardless of whether they are made by rolling or bending operations, and also regardless of whether the resulting forms are spherical (for example, Fig.6), located each other other (e.g., 7-9) or circular (e.g. 10 and 11). Further, as shown in FIGS. 6, 7 and 9, each narrow side 118, 218, 418 provides unique characteristics of heat transfer, strength and stability, and can be formed using various techniques. At least a portion of the bent or rolled longitudinal edges (and in the case of narrow lateral sides 218, 418 illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 9, most of the bent or rolled longitudinal edges) is formed perpendicular to the wide lateral sides 122, 222, 422 and 124, 224 , 424 flat tubes 110, 210, 410.

With reference to the narrow sides 518, 618 of the flat tubes 510, 610 shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the longitudinal edges of the parts 12 512, 612 and 514, 614 can also be formed by folding or rolling together the adjacent longitudinal edges of the two parts 12 512 612 and 514, 614 tubes. In addition, each of the narrow sides 518, 618 of the flat tubes 510, 610 provides unique characteristics of heat transfer, strength and stability, and can be formed using various techniques. In both cases, the longitudinal edges of the parts 12 512, 612 and 514, 614 can be bent on themselves to form a serpentine edge of the flat tube 510, 610. Although the folds 530, 630 of this serpentine edge can adjoin each other with a small gap or without a gap between adjacent folds 530, 630, in some embodiments (see FIGS. 10 and 11), a gap exists between adjacent parts of each fold. The heat transfer, hardness, strength and / or size of the flat tubes 510, 610 can be selected as desired based on the orientation of the folds 530, 630 in these embodiments (for example, substantially perpendicular to the wide sides 522, 622 and 524, 624 or at a substantial angle less than 90 degrees relative to the wide edges 522, 622 and 524, 624) and the gap between adjacent parts of each fold 530, 630.

The embodiment illustrated in FIG. 8 provides an example of how at least a portion of the folds 330 (and in some cases most of the folds 330) of the narrow side 318 can be parallel or substantially parallel to the wide sides of the flat tube 310.

Some or all of these folds 330 may be opposite each other for improved heat transfer between them. In some embodiments, the folds 330 of the narrow side 318 may have substantially the same length L, for example, as in cases where a particular flow channel shape is required next to the narrow side 318 of the flat tube 310. However, in other embodiments (such as shown in FIG. 8), at least some of the folds 330 of the narrow side parallel to the wide sides 322, 324 have a different length from the others. For example, folds of various sizes can form a generally concave (FIG. 8) or convex shape of an adjacent flow channel 316, for example, for a desired flow channel shape near the narrow side 318. Referring to the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 8, the length L of each fold 330 decreases from the outside of the flat tube 310 to the inside of the flat tube 310 (i.e., the first fold 330, which is opposite the wide side 322, has a greater length L than the subsequent fold 330, and the last fold 330 which is located on rotiv another broad side 324, has a greater length L, than the previous fold 330). In these embodiments, the implementation of such narrow side 318 forms can help to prevent sudden temperature differences in the flat tube 310, which could otherwise contribute to the failure of the tube in many embodiments. As another example, folds of a different size may form a wedge-shaped narrow side 318 that can provide an asymmetric heat transfer bridge along the distance between the wide sides 322, 324. Yet other other shapes of the narrow side 318 formed by folds 330 of a different size parallel to the wide the sides 322, 324 are possible and fall within the scope and scope of the present invention.

In those embodiments in which the folds 330 of the narrow side 318 are parallel or substantially parallel to the wide sides 322, 324 of the two-piece flat tube 310, the folds 330 formed from the first portion 312 may be engaged or interlocked with the folds 330 formed from the second part 314 (see, for example, FIG. 8). As a result, the formed flat tube 310 can be held together until brazing or other fastening operations of parts 12, 312, 314, which can simplify the assembly of the flat tubes 310 into groups and / or heat exchangers having such flat tubes 310, as further illustrated below. It will be appreciated that similar advantages exist in other embodiments of the narrow side described above with reference to FIGS. 6, 7 and 9-11.

In those embodiments of the present invention in which one or both narrow sides of 18, 118, 218, 318, 418, 518, 618, 20, 120, 220, 320, 420, 520, 620 have folds 30, 130, 230, 330, 430, 530, 630, as described above, these folds 30, 130, 230, 330, 430, 530, 630, in General, can provide greater stability for narrow sides 18, 118, 218, 318, 418, 518 , 618, 20, 120, 220, 320, 420, 520, 620, despite the relatively small wall thickness of the flat tube 10, 110, 210, 310, 410, 510, 610 mentioned earlier. A larger number of bends 30, 130, 230, 330, 430, 530, 630 on the narrow sides 18, 118, 218, 318, 418, 518, 618, 20, 120, 220, 320, 420, 520, 620 also allows you to provide better protection for flat tubes 10, 110, 210, 310, 410, 510, 610 from damage due to, for example, high internal pressure, impact from objects and corrosion. This may be more important when using such flat tubes 10, 110, 210, 310, 410, 510, 610 in heat exchangers for motor vehicles.

Although not required in the flat tube embodiments described above, the first and / or second parts 12, 112, 212, 312, 412, 512, 612 and 14, 114, 214, 314, 414, 514.614 may have one or more folds 28, located between the narrow sides 18, 118, 218, 318, 418, 518, 618 and 20, 120, 220, 320, 420, 520, 620 of the flat tube 10, 110, 210, 310, 410, 510, 610 In this regard, the description of such folds 28 in the illustrated embodiment of FIGS. 1-5 is equally applicable to the other embodiments described above. For ease of description, additional information regarding these folds 28 will now be described with reference to the illustrated embodiments of FIGS. 12 and 13 using the reference numbers of the embodiment of FIGS. 1-5.

In some embodiments, the locations of the internal folds 28 may be selected to form flow paths 16 of varying size to provide various fluid and / or flow characteristics (e.g., flow rate and / or flow direction, pressure, several types of fluid, and so on) .p.) in different places of one flat tube 10, and also to provide different methods of heat transfer in different places. With reference to the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 12, the width or distance “a” between the inner folds 28 is formed substantially parallel to the first and second wide lateral side 22, 24 of the flat tube 10 and varies based on the required degree of resistance to temperature changes across the width of the flat tube 10 .

In some embodiments, such as shown in FIG. 12, the distance “a” between the inner folds 28 may become larger starting from either or both narrow sides 18 and 20 of the flat tube 10 to the center of the flat tube 10. Therefore, in some embodiments the implementation of the distance "a" increases from the inner bend 28 to the inner bend 28, starting with one narrow side 18, 20 in the direction of the middle of the flat tube 10, and then decreases again in the direction of the other narrow side 20, 18. In some embodiments, Lenia cross sectional area of the individual flow channels 16 formed by the inner folds 28 increases and decreases, respectively. In some embodiments, the distance “a” begins at either or both narrow sides 18, 20 with a size of approximately 0.5 mm (0.019685 inches) and grows to a few millimeters.

For example, in these cases, the flat tube 10 with a width of approximately 42 mm (approximately 1.6634 inches) may include a large number of internal folds 28 and channels 16 for flow. It is likely that the flat tube 10 may include relatively wider flow channels 16 essentially adjacent to either or both narrow side sides 18, 20, with narrower flow channels 16 near the center of the flat tube 10. In addition, although the flow channels 16 in many embodiments have a width “a” of the dimensions described above, this width can be significantly larger in other embodiments, including ranges of at least 1 cm (0.3937 in).

In some embodiments, the implementation of the flat tube 10 may include internal folds 28 directly adjacent to each other, and these internal folds are adjacent or in close contact with each other after the formation of internal folds 28 or after brazing or other fastening operations on parts 12, 14. For example, several internal folds 28 may be arranged tightly together. In any of these cases, two or more internal folds 28 may form a set of 32 internal folds 28. The flat tube 10 may have any number of such sets of 32 internal folds 28, such as those shown in FIG. 13, either individually or in combination with any number single folds 28. Each set 32 of internal folds 28 shown in FIG. 13 includes three separate internal folds 28. However, in other embodiments, two internal folds 28 may be sufficient to form set 32, and / or four or more internally x folds 28 may form a set 32. Accordingly, the number of internal folds 28, 32 which form a set of freely chosen on the basis of the target application version of a flat tube 10, and other factors. In this regard, any or both of the parts 12, 14 of the flat tube 10 can have sets of 32 folds having any number of internal folds 28, and any combination of sets 32 with a different number of internal folds 28.

Single internal folds 28 and / or sets 32 of internal folds 38 can all be placed in one part 12 or 14 or in both parts 12, 14 of flat tube 10 in any desired arrangement. For example, several sets 32 of internal folds 28 may be arranged symmetrically around the central position of the flat tube 10 (such as the layout of sets 32 of internal folds shown in FIG. 13), with corresponding sets 32 on opposite sides of the central position extending from one part 12, 14 or from another part 12, 14 (for example, FIG. 13). In addition, in some embodiments, one or more single internal folds 28 and / or one or more sets 32 of internal folds 28 on one part 12, 14 of flat tube 10 may be embedded in internal folds 28 of set 32 in the opposite flat part 14, 12 tube 10.

The sets 32 of internal bends 28 described above can be used to provide higher pressure resistance and greater load-bearing capacity in flat tubes 10, and can also be used to vary the cross-sectional shape of the flow channels 16. It should be noted that the features described above regarding the variation of flat tubes 10 with varying flow channel widths apply equally to embodiments in which sets 32 of internal folds 28 are used. Also in those embodiments in which flat tube 10 is formed using the brazing process, the inner folds 28 on the wide side 22, 24 (whether in single form or in sets 32) can form brazed joints with the other wide side 24, 22, however improving by direct binding to the flat tube 10.

Figures 14-15 illustrate two additional flat tube structures according to further embodiments of the present invention. These embodiments use virtually the same structure and have many of the same properties as the flat tube embodiments described above with reference to FIGS. 1-13. Accordingly, the following description is primarily oriented to the structure and features that differ from the embodiments described above with reference to FIGS. 1-13. Reference should be made to FIGS. 1-13 for additional information regarding the structure and features, as well as possible alternatives to the structure and features of the flat tubes illustrated in FIGS. 14 and 15 and described below. The structure and features of the embodiments shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, which correspond to the structure and features of the embodiments of FIGS. 1-13, are indicated below by a series of 700 and 800 reference numbers, respectively.

Each of the flat tubes 10, 110, 210, 310, 410, 510, 610 illustrated in FIGS. 1-13 has inner walls formed by internal bends 28 of the first and / or second part 12, 112, 212, 312, 412 , 512, 612, 14, 114, 214, 314, 414, 514, 614. However, in any of these embodiments, these walls are at least partially forming channels 16, 116, 216, 316, 416, 516, 616 for flow, can be formed by a separate piece of material that is connected to any or both of the first and second parts 12, 112, 212, 312, 412, 512, 612, 14, 114, 214, 314, 414, 514 , 614 in the manufacture of flat pipes ok 10, 110, 210, 310, 410, 510, 610. Although they differ from the above flat tubes 10, 110, 210, 310, 410, 510, 610, these alternative flat tubes may have any of the structural features described above with reference to figures 1-13 (for example, the thickness and materials of the outer walls, the diameters of the tubes, shapes, positions, gaps and sets of inner walls, as well as the design of the narrow side).

For example, the flat tubes 710, 810 shown in FIGS. 14 and 15 are formed using two parts 712, 714 and 812, 814, respectively between and where is an insert 734, 834 formed by another part of the material. In both cases, the insert 734, 834 has a corrugated shape, whereby the corrugations of the insert 734, 834 can form flow channels 716, 816 in the flat tube 710, 810. Any or both of the narrow sides 718, 720 and 818, 820 of the flat tube 710, 810 (only one of which is shown in each of FIGS. 14 and 15) can include a portion of the insert 734, 834 by typically folding the edges of the first and second parts 712, 714 and 812, 814 with the edges of the insert 734, 834. For example, in some embodiments, the implementation of the flat tube 710 has serpentine narrow sides 718, 720, as shown in f d.14, while the edges of the insert 734 are bent with and in the longitudinal sides of the first and second parts 712, 714. In other embodiments, the narrow sides 818, 820 of the flat tube 810 are tightly bent to each other, as shown in Fig.15, and the edges of the insert 834 are again bent with and to the longitudinal sides of the first and second parts 812, 814. In still other embodiments, the longitudinal edges of the insert can be rolled into the longitudinal edges of the first and second parts in any of the narrow side structures shown in FIG. 6 -10.

Each of the above embodiments of the present invention uses two separate fragments of material in order to form the first and second parts 12, 112, 212, 312, 412, 512, 612, 712, 812 and 14, 114, 214, 314, 414, 514, 614, 714, 814 flat tubes 10, 110, 210, 310, 410, 510, 610, 710, 810. Although such tube designs have unique advantages, including certain signs of engagement between the parts and manufacturing advantages, flat tubes according to the present invention can also be formed from a single fragment, for example, through a single sludge and a solid endless sheet metal plate. By deforming a single fragment, the free longitudinal edges of one fragment can be brought together and joined by brazing, welding or other fastening operations. In other words, some embodiments of flat tubes according to the present invention can be formed from a single fragment (for example, strips of a metal sheet) while defining still two stable narrow sides. Various embodiments of such one-piece flat tubes are described in more detail below. With the exception of the features of the one-piece flat tubes described below, which are not consistent or incompatible with the features of the tubes described above with reference to the two-part embodiments of FIGS. 1-15, the one-piece flat tubes described below may have any of the structural features described above with reference to figures 1-15 (for example, the thickness and materials of the outer tubes, the diameters of the tubes, shapes, positions, gaps and sets of inner walls and the design of the narrow sides).

The integral tubes described below may have improved thermal properties compared to traditional flat tubes, at least in part based on the use of the relatively thin tube wall material (described above) that can be used. Additionally, the assembly of flat tubes in the heat exchanger can also be simplified.

Similarly to the two-piece tubes described above, the folds formed on the narrow sides of the solid flat tubes described below can be substantially perpendicular or substantially parallel to the wide sides. For example, the first narrow side of a flat tube may be formed from a continuous portion of one sheet of metal and may include a set of several folds. In some embodiments, the implementation of these bends can form several lengths (for example, similar to those described above with reference to Fig), which can help to avoid the formation of cracks due to thermal failure. The second narrow side of the flat tube may be formed by the free longitudinal edges of one sheet of metal and may also have several folds. Instead of a sheet metal thickness of 0.05-0.15 mm (0.0019685-0.00591 inches) in some embodiments, and 0.03-0.15 mm (0.00118-0.00591 inches) in other embodiments the longitudinal edges of one piece of material forming a second narrow side can be joined by brazing, welding or other fastening operations. In addition, similarly to the two-piece flat tubes described above, either or both sides of the solid flat tubes may include internal bends and other deformations (for example, inwardly directed edges, flanges, or other protrusions that should not extend along the inner parts of flat tubes). The internal folds can form flow channels in a flat tube and can be arranged by any of the methods described above with reference to two-part flat tubes. By way of example only, the internal folds may be in sets, may be at specific intervals, which may or may not vary across the width of the flat tube and may increase in the direction from either or both narrow sides to the middle of the flat tube. Thanks to such internal bends and arrangements, the ability of the entire flat tube to withstand high temperature loads can be significantly improved.

Examples of solid flat tubes having some of these features are illustrated in FIGS. 16-24, each of which has first and second parts 912, 914, 1012, 1014, 1112, 1114, 1212, 1214, 1312, 1314, 1412, 1414 , 1512, 1514, 1612, 1614, 1712, 1714, formed from a common fragment of material bent to the illustrated shapes. Although other materials and material thicknesses may be used, as described in more detail above with reference to two-part flat tubes, illustrated first and second parts 912, 914, 1012, 1014, 1112, 1114, 1212, 1214, 1312, 1314, 1412 , 1414, 1512, 1514, 1612, 1614, 1712, 1714 are formed from a strip of sheet metal of aluminum or an aluminum alloy having a material thickness of approximately 0.10 mm (0.003937 inches). Any of the flat tubes 910, 1010, 1110, 1210, 1310, 1410, 1510, 1610, 1710 may have a braze coating on either one or both sides, with each layer of a braze coating having a thickness of about 10-20% the thickness of the strip of sheet metal.

Using the wall thickness described above, a small diameter d of at least 0.8 mm (0.031496 inches) for the illustrated flat tubes 910, 1010, 1110, 1210, 1310, 1410, 1510, 1610, 1710 provides good efficacy results in many applications. Also, using the wall thickness described above, a small diameter d of not more than about 2.0 mm (0.07874 inches) for the illustrated flat tubes 910, 1010, 1110, 1210, 1310, 1410, 1510, 1610, 1710 provides good performance results in many applications. However, in some embodiments, a maximum small diameter d of not more than about 1.5 mm (0.059055 inches) is used for the illustrated flat tubes 910, 1010, 1110, 1210, 1310, 1410, 1510, 1610, 1710. More Moreover, the large diameter D for any of the illustrated flat tubes 910, 1010, 1110, 1210, 1310, 1410, 1510, 1610, 1710 is usually freely selectable within certain manufacturing limits. For example, in some embodiments, the large diameter D is approximately 50 mm (1.969 inches). However, solid flat tubes 910, 1010, 1110, 1210, 1310, 1410, 1510, 1610, 1710 having large or small diameters D, d (including those described above with reference to all embodiments disclosed herein), and the wall thickness described previously can also be made, with the original width W of the material (see, for example, FIG. 16) used to form flat tubes 910, 1010, 1110, 1210, 1310, 1410, 1510, 1610, 1710, made available on the production line.

As mentioned above, various types of narrow side folds and inner folds described with reference to the embodiments of FIGS. 1-15 can be used in the one-piece tubes described herein. In some embodiments of the integral tubes, such as those shown in FIGS. 19-24, either or both narrow sides of the flat tube 1218, 1220, 1318, 1320, 1418, 1420, 1518, 1520, 1618, 1620, 1718, 1720 910, 1010, 1110, 1210, 1310, 1410, 1510, 1610, 1710 may include several folds 1230, 1330, 1430, 1530, 1630, 1730, which can provide relatively more stable and durable narrow narrow sides 1218, 1220, 1318, 1320, 1418, 1420, 1518, 1520, 1618, 1620, 1718, 1720 tubes. As a result, the relatively more stable narrow sides 1218, 1220, 1318, 1320, 1418, 1420, 1518, 1520, 1618, 1620, 1718, 1720 can provide sufficient protection for the flat tubes 910, 1010, 1110, 1210, 1310, 1410, 1510, 1610, 1710 from damage due to loss of temperature and / or pressure, impact from objects and corrosion, thereby providing better efficiency when used in a heat exchanger for motor vehicles (for example).

FIG. 16 shows an example of the method by which the integral tube 910 can be manufactured. In particular, FIG. 16 illustrates at least a portion of the manufacturing process to form the integral flat tube 910. One and / or several folds are made in the source material sheet and at least partially form the inner folds 928 of the flat tube 910 and the flow channels 916 in the flat tube 910. In some embodiments, the source material sheet is a continuous sheet, such as fed from a material coil above production GOVERNMENTAL elements used to form the folds. At the same time or another time, additional folds are created which at least partially form folds in the narrow lateral side 920 of the flat tube 910. For example, a set 932 of several folds 930 is formed at or near the center of the solid metal strip illustrated in FIG. 16 to form a narrow side 920 by folding the strip in the direction shown by the arrow, substantially adjacent to a set 932 of several folds 930. As a result of this fold indicated by the arrow, the first and second wide e the sides 912, 914 of the flat tube 910. The other narrow side 918 and the folds 930 of the other narrow side 918 may take any of the shapes shown in FIGS. 19-23, or the shapes described and / or illustrated above with reference to narrow lateral sides consisting of two parts of flat tubes 10, 110, 210, 310, 410, 510, 610, 710, 810. FIGS. 17 and 18 illustrate features of alternative designs of integral flat tubes (narrow sides not shown), which may be used. More specifically, FIG. 17 provides an example of how single internal folds 1028 and sets of 1032 of multiple internal folds 1028 on either or both wide sides 1022, 1024 can be used in one solid flat tube 1010 to form channels 1016 for flow of one or different size. FIG. 18 illustrates an example of how a series of single inner folds 1128 can be made at specific locations on either or both wide sides 1122, 1124 to form flow channels 1116 of varying cross-sectional sizes, for example, gradually increasing cross-sectional sizes in the width direction of the solid flat tube 1110.

FIGS. 19-24 illustrate still further examples of solid flat tubes 1210, 1310, 1410, 1510, 1610 according to other embodiments of the present invention. As embodiments of the one-piece tubes illustrated in FIGS. 16-18, each of the one-piece flat tubes 1210, 1310, 1410, 1510, 1610 illustrated in FIGS. 19-24 has internal folds 1228, 1328, 1428, 1528, 1628, 1728, arranged individually and / or in sets, to form channels 1216, 1316, 1416, 1516, 1616, 1716 for flow. In some cases, the layout of individual internal bends 1228, 1328, 1428, 1528, 1628, 1728 and / or sets 1232, 1332, 1532 of such bends 1228, 1328, 1528 is determined based on one or more factors (for example), achievable temperatures of single or multiple fluids through tubes 1210, 1310, 1410, 1510, 1610, 1710, heat stress and the cyclic temperature effect to which various parts of the width and / or length of the tube, the internal pressure of the fluid, and the like are exposed.

In particular, as shown in FIG. 19, several internal folds 1228 near the center of the flat tube 1210 form a material four times the thickness of the material of the unfold tubing (i.e., two single folds 1228 arranged tightly or directly adjacent to each other, for example, in an adjoining way). The one-piece flat tube 1210 illustrated in FIG. 19 has two such sets 1232 of internal folds 1228, each of which is formed on a different wide lateral side 1222, 1224 of the flat pipe 1210. In the embodiment of FIG. 20, four sets 1332 of several internal folds 1328 form a thickness of material six times the thickness of the material of the non-folded tube (i.e., three single folds 1328 arranged tightly or directly next to each other, for example, by an adjoining method). The inner folds 1328 in the embodiment of FIG. 20 are arranged so as to form flow channels 1316 of varying size, in contrast to the folds of FIG. 19, which are substantially the same size. It will be appreciated that any other number of sets of internal folds 1232, 1332 may be provided on one or both wide sides of the 1222, 1224, 1322, 1324 solid flat tubes 1210, 1310 illustrated in FIGS. 19 and 20, with or without additional individual internal folds 1228, 1328 (i.e., internal folds 1228, 1328 not in sets 1232, 1332, as also shown in FIGS. 19 and 20).

The embodiments of FIGS. 21, 22, and 23 provide examples of solid flat tubes 1410, 1510, 1610 in which only single folds 1428, 1528, 1628 are used to form flow channels 1416, 1516, 1616. As an example, the inner folds 1428, 1528 of the solid flat tubes 1410, 1510 illustrated in FIGS. 21 and 22 are arranged so as to form flow channels 1416, 1516 of varying size (increasing toward the center of each flat tube 1410, 1510, 1610), in contrast to those shown in FIG. 23, which are essentially the same size, with the exception of a slightly larger flow channel 16 immediately adjacent to either or both narrow sides 1618, 1620. It should be noted that the inner folds 1228, 1328, 1428 , 1528, 1628, 1728 any of the one-piece flat tubes 1210, 1310, 1410 , 1510, 1610, 1710, illustrated in FIGS. 19-24, can be arranged to form channels 1216, 1316, 1416, 1516, 1616, 1716 for a stream of the same or different size, and that the width of the channels 1216, 1316, 1416 , 1516, 1616, 1716 for the flow can increase or decrease in the direction of the center of the flat tubes 1210, 1310, 1410, 1510, 1610, 1710 gradually in one direction in most or all of the width of the tube, or in any other desired manner. In addition, if necessary, other designs of flat tubes 1210, 1310, 1410, 1510, 1610, 1710 may include a different number of single folds 1228, 1328, 1428, 1528, 1628, 1728 and sets of several internal folds 1228, 1328, 1428, 1528, 1628, 1728.

According to embodiments of the solid flat tubes illustrated in FIGS. 19-24, each flat tube 1210, 1310, 1410, 1510, 1610, 1710 has one narrow side 1220, 1320, 1420, 1520, 1620, 1720 formed by a continuous fold parts of a sheet of material used to constitute a flat tube 1210, 1310, 1410, 1510, 1610, 1710, and the opposite narrow side 1218, 1318, 1418, 1518, 1618, 1718, while the two longitudinal edges of the sheet of material are bonded and bend so as to cover a flat tube 1210, 1310, 1410, 1510, 1610, 1710. This opposite the lateral side 1218, 1318, 1418, 1518, 1618, 1718 and the folds 1230, 1330, 1430, 1530, 1630, 1730 of the opposite narrow side 1218, 1318, 1418, 1518, 1618, 1718 can take any of the forms shown in Figures 19-24, or described and / or illustrated above with reference to the narrow sides of two-piece flat tubes 10, 110, 210, 310, 410, 510, 610, 710, 810.

With reference to the narrow side 1220, 1320, 1420, 1520, 1620, 1720 formed by the continuous curved portion described above, this narrow side may take any of the shapes shown in FIGS. 19-24. However, this same narrow side 1220, 1320, 1420, 1520, 1620, 1720 can also take any of the forms described and / or illustrated above with reference to the narrow sides consisting of two parts of flat tubes 10, 110, 210 , 310, 410, 510, 610, 710, 810, while the terminal endings of the first and second parts 12, 14, 112, 114, 212, 214, 312, 314, 412, 414, 512, 514, 612, 614, 712 , 714, 812, 814 in the narrow sides of 18, 118, 218, 318, 418, 518, 618, 718 flat tubes 10, 110, 210, 310, 410, 510, 610, 710, 810 should be connected as part of one continuous piece of sheet material. Accordingly, the unique advantages of each narrow side shape described above with reference to FIGS. 1-11, 14 and 15 can exist for either or both narrow side sides 1218, 1220, 1318, 1320, 1418, 1420, 1518, 1520, 1618, 1620, 1720 of the embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 19-24.

With specific reference to the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 19, the entire flat tube 1210 illustrated herein has narrow sides 1218, 1220 formed by folds 1230 that are arranged substantially perpendicular to the wide sides of 1222, 1224 of the flat tube 1210. Several folds 1230 forming the narrow sides 1218, 1220 differ from each other in that the folds 1230 forming the second narrow side 1220 are formed from the continuous portion of the solid strip of material used for I have to create a flat tube 1210 whereas the folds 1230 forming the first narrow sidewall 1218 formed from two longitudinal edges of the strips of solid material. However, in other embodiments, the flat tube may instead have first and second narrow sides 1218, 1210 with folds 1230 that are substantially parallel to the wide sides of 1222, 1224 of the flat tube 1210.

The one-piece flat tube 1310 illustrated in FIG. 20 also has a second narrow side 1320 with several folds 1330 substantially perpendicular to the wide sides 1322, 1324 of the flat tube 1310, while the first narrow side 1318 has several folds 1330 arranged along substantially parallel to the wide sides 1322, 1324 of the flat tube 1310. However, in other embodiments, the flat tube 1310 may instead have a first narrow side 1318 with folds 1330 that are substantially perpendicular to the wide them to the sides 1322, 1324, and a second narrow side 1320 with folds 1330 that are substantially parallel to the wide sides 1322, 1324.

The one-piece flat tube 1410 illustrated in FIG. 21 has first and second narrow sides 1418, 1420 with multiple folds 1430 that are substantially parallel to the wide sides 1422, 1424 of the flat pipe 1410. In other embodiments, multiple folds 1430 of any or both narrow sides 1418, 1420 instead are substantially perpendicular to the wide sides 1422, 1424 of the flat tube 1410. Although each of the several folds 1430 in both narrow sides 1418, 1420 illustrated in FIG. 21 is substantially the same for well, one or both narrow sides 1418, 1420 may instead have a different length L (for example, see. it Figures 22 and 23). In these embodiments, the varying length of the narrow lateral sides 1518, 1520, 1618 may take any of the forms described above with reference to the embodiment of FIG. 8, and therefore may provide any of the advantages also described herein. FIGS. 22 and 23 illustrate an arrangement of folds 1530, 1630 of varying lengths of narrow lateral sides 1518, 1520, 1630 (i.e., shorter flanges 1530, 1630 flanked by longer folds 1530, 1630), moreover, it generally can be effective in supporting loads of temperature changes. In addition, with this arrangement, sudden pressure transitions from the narrow sides 1518, 1520, 1618 to the wide sides 1522, 1524, 1622, 1624 can be avoided. Additionally, as is the case with other embodiments of the solid flat tubes described herein document, one or more sets of several internal folds 1528 (such as one set shown in FIG. 22) and / or a relatively large number of flow channels 16 (such as shown in FIG. 23) can be used to help support load change topics Perature and help withstand sudden pressure drops. Another measure aimed at improving the load resistance to temperature changes is to vary the distance “a” between the folds to form ever wider flow channels 1516 to the center of the flat tube 1510.

FIG. 24 illustrates an example of a method by which any of the narrow side constructions shown in the two-piece flat tube embodiments of FIGS. 6-11, 14, and 15 can be used in the narrow side of a single flat tube having a continuous sheet. material as mentioned above. The narrow side 1718 shown in FIG. 24 is similar in many respects to the narrow side according to FIG. 11 described above, with the exception of adjacent adjacent folds 1730 and one continuous sheet of material forming folds 1730, instead of two overlapping sheets of material (or two overlapping parts 12 of one sheet of material). In this specific example, the distances “a” between the folds 1730 and the first inner fold 1728 and between the other internal folds 1728 are relatively small and can vary in some embodiments from 0.5 mm (0.019685 inches) to 2 mm (0.07874 inches) or more, and even at most up to 1 cm (2.54 inches). Moreover, in some embodiments, the flat tube 1610 has a width of approximately 42 mm (0.16535 inches), allowing multiple bends 1728 and flow channels 1716 to be accommodated.

Flat tubes according to some embodiments of the present invention may include an inner insert that reinforces at least one of the narrow sides of the flat tube, while also potentially performing one or more other functions (e.g., reinforcing the wide sides of the tubes, specifying several channels for flow, supporting or not supporting the exchange of fluid with each other, setting flow tabs, etc.). The insert can be formed by a separate piece of material that is bonded to sheets of material forming the inner walls of the tube in the manufacture of flat tubes, and can be used as an addition to or instead of internal bends, as described in a number of embodiments above. Examples of inserts have already been described with reference to the illustrated embodiments of FIGS. 14 and 15.

Although the inserts can be used with one-piece flat tubes according to some embodiments of the present invention (described in more detail below), a number of unique advantages are obtained by using the inserts in two-part flat tubes. In some embodiments, these advantages are provided by using inserts in solid tubes composed of sheet material having a relatively small thickness. In some embodiments, the wall material of the flat tubes has a thickness of not more than about 0.20 mm (0.007874 inches). However, in other embodiments, the wall material of flat tubes having a thickness of not more than about 0.15 mm (0.0059055 inches) provides significant efficiency results related to the overall heat exchanger efficiency, manufacturability and possible wall designs (as disclosed herein ), which are not possible when using thinner wall materials. The relatively small thickness of the wall material can lead to good thermal properties of two-part flat tubes having inserts. In some embodiments, the wall material thickness of such flat tubes of at least about 0.050 mm (i.e., at least about 0.0019685 inches) provides excellent strength and corrosion resistance characteristics, while in other embodiments, the wall material thickness of the flat tubes is at least about 0.030 mm (0.00118 inches) can be used. In addition, two-part flat tubes having inserts described below may have dimensions similar to the two-part flat tubes described with reference to FIGS. 1-15.

As explained in more detail below, the heat exchanger tubes and other parts of the heat exchangers described herein can be manufactured using a number of manufacturing methods and processes and may include signs of corrosion protection, such as, for example, the methods and processes described below and illustrated in FIG. .92-95. A number of manufacturing processes and techniques and the corrosion protection features mentioned below are particularly advantageous when applied to heat exchanger tubes and parts of heat exchangers having a significantly thinner material thickness. In addition, these methods, processes and signs of corrosion protection provide significant advantages associated with the overall efficiency of flat tubes and heat exchangers made of such a material.

25-34 illustrate various two-piece flat tubes 1810, 1810A, 1910, 2010, 2110, 2210, 2310, 2410, 2510, 2610, 2710, 2810, 2910, 3010, 3110, 3210, each of which includes self first part 1812, 1812A, 1912, 2012, 2112, 2212, 2312, 2412, 2512, 2612, 2712, 2812, 2912, 3012, 3112, 3212, second part 1814, 1814A, 1914, 2014, 2114, 2214, 2314 , 2414, 2514, 2614, 2714, 2814, 2914, 3014, 3114, 3214 and insert 1834, 1834A, 1934, 2034, 2134, 2234, 2334, 2434, 2534, 2634, 2734, 2834, 2934, 3034, 3134, 3234, all of which can be constructed from sheets of material, such as strips of metal or other material. For ease of description, the following explanation only refers to the illustrated embodiment of FIGS. 25 and 26, it should be understood that the following explanation applies equally to all of the embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 25-34 (except for an inconsistent or incompatible description).

In some embodiments, the two-piece flat tube 1810 illustrated in FIGS. 25 and 26, the first and second parts 1812, 1814, and insert 1834 may be constructed from a material (eg, aluminum, an aluminum alloy, or other material described herein) ) having a relatively small sheet thickness. For example, it was found that the material thickness for these elements of not more than approximately 0.15 mm (0.0098425 inches) provides good performance results in many applications. In some embodiments, the material for these elements also has a thickness of at least about 0.03 mm (0.0011811 inches). In many embodiments, it is preferable that a relatively smaller sheet thickness be used for insert 1834 than for the first and second parts 1812, 1814 consisting of two parts of a flat tube 1810. Despite the relatively small thickness of the sheets, the narrow side sides 1818, 1820 of two parts flat tubes 1810 can have relatively increased stability, especially when used in conjunction with the features of a two-part flat tubing 1710, described below.

In the illustrated embodiment of FIGS. 25 and 26, each wide side 1822, 1824 of the flat tube 1810 is formed from a separate piece of material (such as a separate strip). Parts of the material overlap in two places to form two longitudinal seams 1844, 1846. These longitudinal seams 1844, 1846 consisting of two parts of the flat tube 1810 extend from the respective narrow sides of the 1818, 1820 flat tube 1810 to the opposite wide sides 1822, 1824, unlike the other illustrated embodiments (for example, see FIG. 27, described in more detail below), where the longitudinal seams extend from the respective narrow sides of the flat tube to the same wide side of the flat tube. In the illustrated embodiment of FIGS. 25 and 26, the longitudinal seams 1844, 1846 are placed in and extend from the corresponding narrow side 1818, 1820 of the flat tube 1810 to the wide sides of the flat tube 1810. In particular, the longitudinal seams 1844, 1846, namely, those parts of the flat tube 1810 in which the sheet material of the flat tube 1810 overlaps, extend at least partially over part (and in some embodiments, most or all) of the narrow sides 1818, 1820 and are partially in the corresponding wide The touch side 1822 1824 1810. The flat tube joint width 1844, 1846 can be determined according to the required manufacturing process.

In some embodiments, the longitudinal seams 1844, 1846 of the flat tube 1810 represent a recessed flush or substantially flush outer surface of the flat tube 1810 (for example, provide a substantially flat wide side 1822, 1824 of the flat tube 1810). For this purpose, this longitudinal edge of each longitudinal seam 1844, 1846, which overlaps with the other longitudinal edge, can be deepened by forming an overlapping longitudinal edge with an offset of 1848, 1850. Accordingly, the longitudinal edge of one part 1812, 1814 of the tube can be wrapped and receive the corresponding the longitudinal edge of the other part 1814, 1812 of the tube in the groove 1848, 1850 to form a longitudinal seam 1844, 1846. Thus, for both seams 1844, 1846, the underlying longitudinal edge of the two overlapping parts 1812, 1814 of the tube can t terminate inside the flat tube 1810 and may be free to brazing, welding or other fastening techniques. As a result of this design, flat tubes 1810 can be formed with the exact required width (even without cutting or other processing operations in some embodiments) despite the fact that weaker tolerances are maintained for the width of the starting material of the individual tube parts 1812, 1814, since the overlapping longitudinal seams 1844, 1846 provide relative lateral placement of the first and second parts 1812, 1814 of the tube in the assembled state. In particular, in some embodiments, the final longitudinal edge 1854, 1856 of each tube portion 1812, 1814 does not abut the other tube portion 1812, 1814, thereby enabling such adjustment.

The use of overlapping longitudinal seams, such as illustrated in the embodiment of FIGS. 25 and 26, provides significant reinforcement of the flat tube 1810 in the first and second narrow sides 1818, 1820, that is, a feature that can be very important in many applications where The effects of heat stress, temperature change loads and failures due to the application of pressure and dirt are common in traditional flat tubes. In some embodiments, additional reinforcement of the first and / or second narrow side 1818, 1820 is provided by one or more folds of the first and / or second tube part 1812, 1814 in the narrow side sides 1818, 1820 (i.e., in the longitudinal edges of such parts 1812, 1814). In general, the folding of the longitudinal edges of the first and / or second tube portion 1812, 1814 improves the strength of the flat tube 1810 and the resistance of the flat tube 1810 to damage. In those embodiments in which the narrow side 1818, 1820 is formed at least partially by the overlapping longitudinal edges of the first and second tube parts 1812, 1814 (one extends over, receives or contains the other), or one or both of the overlapping longitudinal edges (for example, contained and enclosing edges) can be bent back to increase the thickness of the longitudinal edge in the narrow side 1818, 1820.

For example, it is contemplated that one or both overlapping longitudinal edges of the tube portions 1812, 1814 in either or both of the narrow lateral sides 1818, 1820 may include folds adjacent to the corresponding gradation 1858, 1860 (described in more detail below). For example, in some embodiments, the combined thickness of the first and second tube parts 1812, 1814 may be approximately 0.25 mm (0.0098425 inches) or less in some embodiments, with either or both overlapping longitudinal edges having at least at least one fold to thicken the narrow side 1818, 1820, and the thickness of the insert material 1834 is approximately 0.10 mm (0.003937 inches) or less. In such embodiments, the thickness of the first and second parts 1818, 1820 of the tube may be in the range of 0.05-0.15 mm (0.0019685-0.0059055 inches) and may be in the range of 0.03-0.15 mm (0 , 0019685-0.0059055 inches) in other embodiments.

It should also be noted that the design of overlapping longitudinal seams consisting of two parts of a flat tube, illustrated in Figs. 25 and 26, can be used in embodiments of flat tubes that do not have an inner insert. For example, such a design of longitudinal welds can be used in two-part flat tubes having internal folds, such as those described above with reference to the embodiments of FIGS. 1-13 and 16-24, or in other two-part flat tubes .

Although not necessary, in many embodiments, the tube parts (for example, the tube parts 1812, 1814 in FIGS. 25 and 26) have substantially the same shape or may even be identical. When they are assembled as described above, the tube parts 1812, 1814 are arranged with longitudinal edges facing relative to each other. For example, one longitudinal edge of one of the two tube parts 1812, 1814 includes a gradation 1856, 1860 forming a groove 48, 50, as described above, followed by a part forming an arc 1862, 1864, while the corresponding overlapping longitudinal edge of the other part 1814, 1812, the tube includes a portion with a larger arc 1866, 1868 receiving a smaller arc 1862, 1864. Accordingly, in the illustrated embodiment of FIGS. 25 and 26, one portion 1862, 1864 with a smaller arc and one portion 1866, 1868 with a larger an arc form one of the narrow sides of 1818, 1820 as an hour This is a two-part manufacturing process for a flat tube 1810. It should be understood that the term "arc" as used herein and in the appended claims is not limited to a semicircular shape. Moreover, the term “arc” as used herein and in the appended claims includes any appropriate geometry for forming the narrow sides 1818, 1820, which may include square, triangular or other open polygonal shapes, wave shapes and other shapes .

By using parts of 12 tubes that are substantially the same shape or identical, fewer types of fragments (and in some cases, one type of fragment) can be used to construct a two-piece flat tube 1810, resulting in smaller inventory, more easy assembly and significant cost savings.

The inner insert 1834, partially illustrated in FIG. 25 and fully illustrated in FIG. 26, is formed from a third piece of material and generally includes two longitudinal edges 1838, 1840, either or both of which can be substantially within the corresponding narrow lateral side 1818, 1820 of the flat tube 1810. In some embodiments, the longitudinal edges 1838, 1840 are formed with a shape for this purpose, so that the longitudinal edges 1838, 1840 can fit in the inner shape of the narrow lateral sides 1818, 1820. Also in someEmbodiments of at least a portion of any or both of the longitudinal edges 1838, 1840 have a shape corresponding to the shape of the narrow lateral sides 1818, 1820. For example, one or both of the longitudinal edges 1838, 1840 can be formed in the shape of a contour 1842, so so that at least a portion of the contour 1842 conforms to the shape of the corresponding narrow side 1818, 1820 of the flat tube 1810. In some embodiments, this conformity of shapes may result in reinforcement of the flat tube in the narrow side 1818, 1820. Additional reinforcement may be Obtain compounds by any or both of the longitudinal edges 1838, 1840 with the narrow sides 1818, 1820, for example by brazing, welding or any other suitable method.

As shown in FIG. 26, illustrating the way in which the two-piece flat tube 1810 can be assembled, the inner insert 1834 is placed within the arc parts 1862, 1864 of the first and second tube parts 1812, 1814, since the first and second parts 1812, 1814 tubes are connected during assembly. In particular, the longitudinal edges 1838, 1840 of the inner insert 1834 are supported by the arc portions 1862, 1864 of the first and second tube parts 1812, 1814 and must be within the narrow sides defined below 1818, 1820 of the tube 1810 to reinforce the narrow sides 1818, 1820 after the assembly is completed. The resulting two-piece flat tube 1810 has narrow sides with a double wall thickness 1818, 1820 due to overlapping longitudinal seams 1844, 1846 extending above and below the narrow sides 1818, 1820, and may also have an additional thickness defined by the thickness of the embedded longitudinal edges 1838, 1840 of the inner insert 1834. In some cases, for example, a two-piece flat tube 1810 includes first and second tube parts 1812, 1814, together forming a wall thickness of approximately 0.20 mm (0.007874 yuymov) to help prevent corrosion or deterioration and / or provide resistance to the effects of dirt, as well as the load pressure and temperature changes.

As explained in more detail below, the heat exchanger tubes and other parts of the heat exchangers described herein can be manufactured using a number of manufacturing methods and processes and may include signs of corrosion protection, such as, for example, the methods and processes described below and illustrated in FIG. .92-95. A number of manufacturing processes and techniques and the corrosion protection features mentioned below are particularly advantageous when applied to heat exchanger tubes and parts of heat exchangers having a significantly thinner material thickness. In addition, these methods, processes and signs of corrosion protection provide significant advantages associated with the overall efficiency of flat tubes and heat exchangers made of such a material.

The inner insert 1834, illustrated in the embodiment of FIGS. 25 and 26, has a series of corrugations 1852 across the width of the flat tube 1810. These corrugations 1852 can be attached to the inside of the wide sides of the first and second tube parts 1812, 1824, so that to form flow channels 1816 extending in the longitudinal direction of the flat tube 1810. By using this arrangement, the flow channels 1816 can be defined in the flat tube 1810 in an economical manner, while also simplifying the manufacturing process of the two-part flat tube 1810. Despite the small wall thickness of the inner insert 1834 (which may be the same or less than the above-described thickness of the first and second tube parts 1812, 1814 described above), flow channels 1816 formed in a two-piece flat tube 1810 may provide increased stability to the internal pressure of the flat tube 1810.

The hydraulic diameter of the flow channels 1816 can be determined by the proper design of the corrugations 1852 described above. In some embodiments, for example, the hydraulic diameter of the flow channels 1816 is relatively small, provided that the small diameter d of the two-piece flat tube 1810 can be of the order of 0.8 mm (0.031496 inches) and the number of corrugations 1852 can be relatively large.

In some embodiments, at least some of the corrugations 1852 are shaped to have one corrugation side perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the wide sides 1822, 1824 of a two-piece flat tube 1810, and an adjacent corrugation side inclined relative to the wide lateral sides 1822, 1824 (for example, see the central corrugations 1852, illustrated, for example, in Fig.25). In other embodiments, at least some of the corrugations 1852 are shaped to have both sides of the corrugation with a significant slope relative to the wide sides 1822, 1824 (for example, see left corrugations 1852, illustrated, for example, in Fig.25) . In yet other embodiments, at least some of the corrugations 1852 are shaped so that both sides are perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the wide sides 1822, 1824 of a two-piece flat tube 1810.

An example of such an embodiment is shown in FIG. 33, which illustrates a two-piece flat tube 2210, which is essentially the same as the tube according to FIGS. 25 and 26, except for the shape of the insert. Similarly to the embodiment of FIGS. 25 and 26, the insert 2234 illustrated in FIG. 33 reinforces the narrow sides 2218, 2220 by the longitudinal edges 2238, 2240 of the insert 2234, lining at least a portion of the inner surface of each tube portion 2212, 2214 in narrow lateral sides 2218, 2220. In other embodiments, only one of the longitudinal edges 2238, 2240 of insert 2234 fits into the corresponding narrow lateral side 2218, 2220. It should be noted that the two-piece flat tube assembly shown in FIG. 33, maybe they there are any of the same features described herein with reference to the embodiment of FIGS. 25 and 26. In still other embodiments, at least some of the corrugations 1852 may form a curved wave pattern (eg, a sinusoidal waveform) or any another profiled surface in which the corrugations are identical or differ in width from the two-piece flat tube 1810.

In some embodiments, insert 1834 forms a series of flow channels 1816 having the same shape and width as a two-piece flat tube 1810. In other embodiments, insert 1834 may be shaped so that the shape and / or size of the flow channels 1816 varies the width of the two-piece flat tube 1810 (for example, by using an insert 1834 with different types of corrugations 1852 in different positions across the width of the two-piece flat tube 1810). An example of this is shown in FIG. 25, where both types of corrugations are used, as described above for illustrated insert 1834. In other embodiments, any number of different shapes and sizes of corrugations can be used across the width of the two-piece flat tube 1810. This variation in width provides additional advantages over traditional flat tubes by adapting different parts 12 of flat tube 1810 for different flow rates and / or environmental conditions (for example, different fluids or flow directions in different parts of one flat tube 1810, different speeds internal or external flow, temperature and / or pressure at various positions across the width of the flat tube 1810, etc.).

The inner insert 1834, illustrated in FIGS. 25 and 26, is formed from a single piece of material. However, it should be noted that in other embodiments, the inner insert 1834 may instead be formed of one or more segments (wherein the assembly of flat tubes illustrated in FIGS. 25 and 26 may include four or more segments).

Further, as shown in FIGS. 25 and 26, the thickness of the at least one narrow side 1818, 1820 generally corresponds to the sum of the thickness of the two wide sides 1822, 1824 (and more precisely the longitudinal edges of the first and second parts 1812, 1814) and inserts 1834. For example, the combined thickness of the overlapping longitudinal edges of the first and second parts 1812, 1814 and insert 1834 may be approximately 0.25 mm (0.0098425 inches) or less in some embodiments. It should also be noted that in some cases, each of the first and second tube parts 1812, 1814 and insert 1834 may have substantially the same thickness (in any of the thickness ranges described above), for example, in cases where the same sheet material used to construct all three segments. In these cases, either or both narrow sides 1818, 1820 can be defined by a thickness that is approximately three times the thickness of the material of any of the first and second parts 1812, 1814 of the tube (i.e., when the contour 1842 is in some either or both longitudinal edges of the insert 1834 is adopted within the corresponding narrow lateral side 1818, 1820 to increase the thickness, as described above). In some embodiments, either or both of the longitudinal edges of the insert 1834 can be bent over and then equipped with a contour 1842 or have a different shape to at least partially match the inside of the narrow side 1818, 1820, thereby reinforcing the wall material the first and second parts 1812, 1814 in the narrow sides 1818, 1820. Any number of such folds of the longitudinal edges for the insert 1834 can be made to achieve the desired thickness, reinforcement and stability of the narrow sides 1818, 1820.

In some embodiments, having a narrow side reinforcement insert 1834, as described above, each of the first and second tube parts 1812, 1814 may have a thickness of less than 0.15 mm (0.00591 inches) and the thickness of the insert 1834 may be no more approximately 0.10 mm (0.003937 inches), for example, a flat tube 1810 in which the first and second tube parts 1812, 1814 have a thickness of about 0.12 mm (0.0047224 inches), and in which the insert 1834 has a thickness not more than approximately 0.10 mm (0.003937 inches). In other embodiments, the thickness of each of the first and second parts 1812, 1814 of the tube and insert 1834 may be not less than about 0.05 mm (0.0019685 inches) and not more than about 0.15 mm (0.0059055) to provide inexpensive heat exchanger with good heat transfer and strength properties. In other embodiments, the thickness of each of the first and second portions 1812, 1814 of the tube and insert 1834 may be at least about 0.03 mm (0.00118 inches) in other embodiments.

At least one of the first and second parts 1812, 1814 and insert 1834 may be coated with brazing material on either or both sides to allow these segments of the illustrated tube assembly to be connected by brazing. In the illustrated embodiment of FIGS. 25 and 26, by way of example only, the first and second parts 1812, 1814 and insert 1834 of flat tube 1810 are made of aluminum or aluminum alloy sheathing made available in an endless ribbon of material applied to at least one side using brazing material.

As shown in FIGS. 25 and 26, the two-piece flat tube 1810 of the illustrated embodiment forms a small diameter d and a large diameter D. Using the wall thickness described previously, a small diameter d of at least about 0.7 mm (0.027559 inches) provides good performance results in many applications. Also, using the wall thickness described previously, a small diameter d of not more than about 1.5 mm (about 0.059055 inches) provides good performance results in many applications, for example in radiators. In the case of charge intercoolers and other applications, the small diameter d may be larger than about 1 cm (0.3937 inches) to provide good performance results. Although such small diameter dimensions are used in various embodiments, any of the small diameter sizes described above with respect to all flat tube embodiments disclosed herein can be used. The large diameter D of the two-piece flat tube 1810 illustrated in FIGS. 25 and 26 can have any desired size (including the dimensions also described above with respect to all flat tube embodiments disclosed herein) of at least at least in part based on the width of the starting material used to construct the flat tube 1810.

As mentioned above, in some embodiments, one or both of the longitudinal edges of the insert 1834 can be equipped with any number of folds to achieve the required thickness for increased strength and stability of the first and second parts 1812, 1814 in the narrow sides 1818, 1820. An example of such an embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 28 and 29. The two-piece flat tube 1910 shown in FIGS. 28 and 29 is substantially the same as the tube of FIGS. 25 and 26, except for the shape of the insert.

FIG. 28 illustrates a flat tube 1910 with a narrow side 1918 in a stage in which the large arc portion 1968 is not fully fabricated. In other words, one longitudinal edge of the second tube portion 1914 does not wrap around an already formed smaller arc portion 1962 formed by the corresponding longitudinal edge of the first tube portion 1912. This longitudinal edge of the second tube portion 1914 is offset or moved relative to the smaller arc portion 1962 to complete the narrow lateral side 1918. As a result, the resulting longitudinal seam 1944 is located in one wide lateral side 1922, while the other of the two longitudinal seams 1946 is in the other wide the lateral side 1924. These longitudinal seams 1944, 1946 are located in the narrow lateral sides 1918, 1920 consisting of two parts of a flat tube 1910, as described in the previous embodiments.

In the illustrated embodiment of FIGS. 28 and 29, the longitudinal edges 1938, 1940 of the insert 1934 are bent several times, as best shown in FIG. 29. The longitudinal edges 1938 with bends 1970 are located in the narrow lateral sides 1918, 1920 of the two-piece flat tube 1910 and can provide significant reinforcement to the overlapping longitudinal edges of the first and second tube parts 1912, 1914 in the narrow lateral sides 1918, 1920. In other embodiments, only one of the longitudinal edges 1938, 1940 of the insert 1934 has such folds 1970.

The number of folds 1970 of the longitudinal edges 1938, 1940 may depend, at least in part, on the dimensions of the flat tube 1910. In some embodiments, by way of example only, the two-piece flat tube 1910 has a small diameter d of the order of 1.0 mm (0 , 03937 inches), the first and second parts 1912, 1914 of the tube have a material thickness of approximately 0.15 mm (0.0059055 inches), and the thickness of the insert material 1934 is approximately 0.05 mm (0.0019685 inches), with approximately 10 folds is created in each longitudinal edge of 1938, 1940 insert 1934. Although these are a few CWA 1970 may have differing lengths, in some embodiments, the maximum length L of the folds is approximately 1.0 mm (0.03937 inches). Furthermore, these several folds of 1970 may extend in a direction parallel or substantially parallel to the wide sides 1922, 1924 of the two-part flat tube 1910 in some embodiments (see FIGS. 28 and 29), and may extend in other directions (e.g., perpendicular to the wide sides of 1922, 1924) in other embodiments. It should be understood that the wall thicknesses of the first and second parts 1912, 1914 of the tubes and insert 1934 can vary, as can the distances d and L, depending on the required technical characteristics of the flat tube 1910.

It should be noted that the two-piece flat tube assembly shown in FIGS. 28 and 29 may have any of the same features described herein with reference to the embodiments of FIGS. 25 and 26.

FIG. 27 illustrates a two-piece flat tube according to a further embodiment of the present invention. This embodiment uses virtually the same structure and has many of the same properties as the flat tube embodiments described above with reference to FIGS. 25, 26, 28, 29 and 33. Accordingly, the following description is primarily oriented to structure and features that differ from the embodiments described above with reference to FIGS. 25, 26, 28, 29 and 33. First, reference should be made to FIGS. 25, 26, 28, 29 and 33 for additional information regarding the structure and signs, as well as possible alternatives to structure and recognition kam consisting of two parts of a flat tube, illustrated in Fig.27 and described below. The structure and features of the embodiment shown in FIG. 27, which correspond to the structure and features of the embodiment of FIGS. 25, 26, 28, 29 and 33, are indicated below by a series of 1800 reference numbers.

Similar to the embodiments of the present invention described with reference to FIGS. 25 and 26, the tube assembly illustrated in FIG. 27 has first and second parts 1812A, 1814A and insert 1834A. Opposite longitudinal edges 1838A, 1840A of insert 1834A align the inner surfaces of both pairs of overlapping longitudinal sides of the first and second tube parts 1812A, 1814A, thereby reinforcing the narrow sides of 1818A flat tube 1818A.

The two-piece flat tube 1810A illustrated in FIG. 27 is an example of the way in which both longitudinal seams 1844A, 1846A connecting the first and second parts 1812A, 1814A of the flat tube 1810A can extend into and onto one wide side 1822A, 1824A flat tube 1810A.

In the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 27, both longitudinal seams 1844A, 1846A extend into and onto the second wide lateral side 1824A of the flat tube 1810A. Alternatively, longitudinal seams 1844A, 1846A may be formed in the first wide lateral side of 1822A, if desired. In the illustrated embodiment, the second wide lateral side 1824A, defined mainly by the second tube portion 1814A, allows relatively free tolerances to be absorbed (i.e., allows tolerances to be aligned) at opposite longitudinal edges. However, in some embodiments, the first wide side 1822A formed mainly by the first tube portion 1812A does not have the same ability or degree of ability, since each of its longitudinal edges may lie opposite or immediately adjacent to the second tube gradation 1858A, 1860A 1814A.

With continued reference to the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 27, the longitudinal seams 1844A, 1846A extend from the respective narrow lateral sides 1818A, 1820A in the directions toward the center of the flat tube 1810A. A significant portion of each longitudinal seam 1818A, 1820A (i.e., grades 1858A, 1860A), however, is located on one wide lateral side 1824A, where the cross-sectional length e of each gradation 1858A, 1860A, measured to the far edge of the narrow sides 1818A , 1820A, can be determined according to the required manufacturing process used to form the tube parts 1812A, 1814A. In the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 27, the small diameter d of the two-piece flat tube 1810A is in the range of about 0.7 to 1.5 mm (0.027559 to 0.059055 inches) when the two-piece flat tube 1810A is integrated in the radiator, although other small diameters d are possible for one or various applications, including diameters d described above with reference to the embodiment of FIGS. 25 and 26, and embodiments described with reference to small and large diameters for all flat tubes according to the present invention disclosed herein. For example, in other designs, the small diameter d of the flat tube 1810A may be greater than 1.0 cm (approximately 0.3937 inches).

As with the other two-part flat tube embodiments disclosed herein, it is contemplated that the manufacturing process of the flat tube 1910 includes at least partially forming two tube parts 1912, 1914 from respective strips of sheet material and subsequent joining at least partially formed strips with each other, as described herein, towards the end of the production line.

Figures 30-32 illustrate two additional flat tube designs according to additional embodiments of the present invention. These embodiments use virtually the same structure and have many of the same properties as the flat tube embodiments described above with reference to FIGS. 25-29 and 33. Accordingly, the following description is primarily oriented to structure and features, which differ from the embodiments described above with reference to FIGS. 25-29 and 33. Reference should be made to the description above with reference to FIGS. 25-29 and 33 for additional information regarding the structure and features, as well as possible alternatives to the structure. and n iznakam flat tubes illustrated in fig.30-32 and described below. The structure and features of the embodiments shown in FIGS. 30-31 and 32, which correspond to the structure and features of the embodiments of FIGS. 25-29 and 33, are indicated below by a series of 2000 and 2100 reference numbers, respectively.

The tube assembly illustrated in FIGS. 30 and 31 is substantially the same as the assembly shown in FIG. 27, except for the shape of the insert. In particular, the tube assembly illustrated in FIGS. 30 and 31 is an example of a method by which insert 2034 can take various shapes to form flow channels 2016 for various shapes and sizes. By way of example, the illustrated inner insert 2034 includes corrugations 2052 having sides that are substantially perpendicular to the wide sides 2022, 2024 of the two parts of the flat tube 2010. The sides of the corrugations are joined together by the substantially flat parts 12 that can be brazed together solder, welded or fixed in any other appropriate way with the inner surfaces of the wide sides of the tubes 2022, 2024 of the first and second parts 2012, 2014. This particular construction of lamellas or inner insert 2034 is generally referred to as flat surface lamellas.

As shown in FIGS. 30 and 31, the longitudinal edges 2038, 2042 of the inner insert 2034 are shaped to include a gradation 2072 and a connecting arc 2074, taken essentially internally and reinforcing the narrow sides of 2018, 2020 consisting of two parts of a flat tube 2010. In other embodiments, only one of the longitudinal edges 2038, 2042 is provided with these features.

In any of the embodiments of the inserts disclosed herein, the inserts may be provided with features that enhance or resist turbulence in the flow channels formed at least in part by the inserts. An example of such features is shown in FIGS. 32A and 32B. In this embodiment, the sides and flat sections of the corrugations 2152 in the illustrated insert 2134 include winglets 2176 (not shown in FIG. 32A) arranged to increase or resist flow turbulence in the flow channels 2116. Winglets 2176 may be arranged or distributed at intervals along the length of flat tube 2110 in or without any template and may be placed in any feature or combination of features of corrugations 2152. It should also be noted that winglets 2176 may include shapes other than shapes, shown in figa and 32B.

The flat tube assembly illustrated in FIGS. 32A and 32B also provides an example of how either or both of the longitudinal edges of the insert in any of the embodiments herein need not be adopted or otherwise placed within the overlapping longitudinal edges of the first and the second parts of the tube and need not be part of or extend onto the narrow sides of the flat tube. In the specific construction shown in FIGS. 32A and 32B as an example, the inner insert 2134 includes at least one longitudinal edge 2140 that ends at the narrow side 2120. Instead, the longitudinal edge 2140 is adjacent to one of the wide sides 2124. Other designs of insert 2124 may include one or both longitudinal edges 2138, 2140 adjacent to the other wide side 2122 of flat tube 2110, one or both rolled longitudinal edges 2138, 2140, not inside or nested in the corresponding narrow side 2 118, 2120 of flat tube 2110, and the like.

Fig. 34 illustrates ten designs of flat tubes according to additional embodiments of the present invention. These embodiments use virtually the same structure and have many of the same properties as the flat tube embodiments described above with reference to FIGS. 25-33. Accordingly, the following description is primarily oriented to the structure and features that differ from the embodiments described above with reference to FIGS. 25-33. For additional information, reference is made to FIGS. 25-33 regarding the structure and features, as well as possible alternatives to the structure and features of the flat tubes illustrated in FIGS. 34-11 and described below. The structure and features of the embodiments shown in FIG. 34, which correspond to the structure and features of the embodiments of FIGS. 25-33, are indicated below by the corresponding series of reference numbers starting from 2300.

As described above with reference to the illustrated embodiment according to FIGS. 25 and 26, additional reinforcement of the first and / or second narrow sides of the flat tube can be provided by one or more folds of the first and / or second part of the tube in the narrow sides (i.e. e. in the longitudinal edges of these parts 12). In general, bending the longitudinal edges of the first and / or second parts of the tube can increase the strength of the flat tube and the resistance of the flat tube to damage. This feature may be used in any of the embodiments described with reference to FIGS. 25-33. Examples of flat tubes having longitudinal seamed edges are illustrated in FIG. 34, while inserts forming generally rectangular flow channels and not extending or not folded in the folds of the narrow sides of the tube are illustrated by way of example only. If necessary, any other types of inserts (or no inserts at all) or the longitudinal insert design and position described herein may be used instead.

Each of the flat tubes 2310, 2410, 2510, 2610, 2710, 2810, 2910, 3010, 3110, 3210 illustrated in FIG. 34 includes at least one longitudinal edge of at least one of the first and the second part 2312, 2412, 2512, 2612, 2712, 2812, 2912, 3012, 3112, 3212 and 2314, 2414, 2514, 2614, 2714, 2814, 2914, 3014, 3114, 3214 of the tube having a bend 2330, 2430, 2530 , 2630, 2730, 2830, 2930, 3030, 3130, 3230. Each of the structures illustrated in FIG. 34 has a male edge 2380, 2382, ..., 3280, 3282 (i.e., a longitudinal edge 2380, 2382, ..., 3280, 3282, which is at least partially surrounded by the longitudinal edge 2378, 2384, ..., 3278, 3284 of another part 2312, 2314, .. ., 3212, 3214 tubes) with at least one fold 2330, ..., 3230. Some of the constructions according to Fig. 34 illustrate the covering edge 2978, 2984, 3078, 3074, 3178, 3174, 3278, 3274 (t ie, the longitudinal edge 2978, 2984, 3078, 3074, 3178, 3174, 3278, 3274, which at least partially surrounds the longitudinal edge 2980, 2982, 3080, 3082, 3180, 3182, 3280, 3282 of the other part 2912, 2914, 3012, 3014, 3112, 3114, 3212, 3214 tubes) with at least one fold 2930, 3030, 3130, 3230. Although the opposite narrow edges of the two-part flat tube shown in Fig. 34 use the same curved construction, in other embodiments phenomena (with or without inserts), only one of the two narrow ends has this design, while the other narrow end can have any of the other curved structures described in this document, or does not have parts 12 with longitudinal fold edges at all. In other embodiments, each of the longitudinal edges of at least one of the narrow ends of a two-piece flat tube (with or without an insert) has at least one bend.

In some embodiments, one of the narrow ends of any of the flat tubes illustrated in FIG. 34 may have any of the longitudinal curved edge structures described and / or illustrated herein, while the other narrow end may have any of the curved structures described above and / or illustrated with reference to any of the embodiments shown in FIGS. 1-24 (with or without inserts). In such cases, the other narrow end may be formed by means of a curved continuous sheet of material, as described in detail above with reference to the embodiments of the solid tubes of FIGS. 16-22, thereby leading to a solid tube.

The combination of longitudinal curved structures of the first and second parts of the tubes described herein with relatively small material thicknesses that can be used in some embodiments (as described above) can form flat tubes having significantly lower weight without compromising strength and stability.

For simplicity, the design of the flat tubes 2310, ..., 3210 shown in FIG. 34 includes a similar configuration as the flat tube 1810 shown in FIGS. 25 and 26 with respect to the orientation of the first and second parts 12 2312, 2314, ..., 3212, 3214 and are classified into three groups: B, C and D. Each of the groups B, C and D illustrates alternative characteristics of a flat tube 2310, ..., 3210. As mentioned above, it should be understood that the features illustrated in FIG. 34 are also applicable to other configurations of two-piece and solid flat tubes described x and / or illustrated herein, and may be used with or without insertion. Flat tubes 2310, 2410, 2510, 2610, 2710, 2810 of groups B and C include an unfolded female longitudinal edge 2378, 2384, 2478, 2484, 2578, 2584, 2678, 2684, 2778, 2784, 2878, 2884 of the first and second parts 2312, 2314, 2412, 2414, 2512, 2514, 2612, 2614, 2712, 2714, 2812, 2814 tubes, respectively. More specifically, the covering edges 2378, 2384, 2478, 2484, 2578, 2584, 2678, 2684, 2778, 2784, 2878, 2884, at least partially enclosing the covered edges 2382, 2380, 2482, 2480, 2582, 2580, 2682 , 2680, 2782, 2780, 2882, 2880 having at least one fold 2330, 2430, 2530, 2630, 2730, 2830. Folds 2330, 2430, 2530, 2630, 2730, 2830 of the covered edges 2382, 2380, 2482 , 2480, 2582, 2580, 2682, 2680, 2782, 2780, 2882, 2880 can be essentially parallel to the wide sides 2322, 2324, 2422, 2424, 2522, 2524, 2622, 2624, 2722, 2724, 2822, 2824 ( for example, groups B and C). In addition, the folds 2330, 2430, 2530 may include a portion parallel to the enclosing edge 2378, 2384, 2478, 2484, 2578, 2584 (for example, group B).

Group D flat tubes 2910, 3010, 3110 include narrow sides 2918, 2920, 3018, 3020, 3118, 3120, both covering edges 2978, 2984, 3078, 3084, 3178, 3184, and male edges 2982, 2980 , 3082, 3080, 3182, 3180 of the first and second parts 2912, 2914, 3012, 3014, 3112, 3114 tubes have bends 2930, 3030, 3130. As a result, the stability of the narrow sides 2918, 2920, 3018, 3020, 3118, 3120 can be raised relative to the narrow sides 2318, 2320, 2418, 2420, 2518, 2520, 2618, 2620, 2718, 2720, 2818, 2820 flat tubes 2310, 2410, 2510, 2610, 2710, 2810 in groups B and C. In addition Moreover, the covered and covering edges 2982, 2980, 3082, 3080, 3182, 3180 and 2978, 2984, 3078, 3084, 317 8, 3184 of each of the flat tubes 2910, 3010, 3110 in group D form only one fold 2930, 3030, 3130 (although more folds are possible in other embodiments), while the male edges 2382, 2380, 2482, 2480, 2582, 2580 , 2682, 2680, 2782, 2780, 2882, 2880 flat tubes 2310, 2410, 2510, 2610, 2710, 2810 groups B and C form more than one fold 2330, 2430, 2530, 2630, 2730, 2830. Also, with reference to group D flat tubes 2910, 3010, 3110, one fold 2930, 3030, 3130 of each female edge 2978, 2984, 3078, 3084, 3178, 3184 substantially parallel to the outermost portion of the flat tube 2910, 3010, 3110, and at least , bend part 2930, 3030, 3130 each of the male edge 2982, 2980, 3082, 3080, 3182, 3180 is substantially parallel to the broad sides 2922, 2924, 3022, 3024, 3122, 3124 flat tubes 2910, 3010, 3110.

Given the various options for the flat tubes shown in Fig. 34, it should be understood that the number of bends 2330, ..., 3230 at the female and male edges 2382, 2380, ..., 3282, 3280 and 2378, 2384, ... , 3278, 3284, and the design or shape of the bends 2330, ..., 3230 can be adjusted to the desired set of parameters. In addition, although the inner insert 2334, ..., 3234 of the flat tube embodiments illustrated in FIG. 34 is not used to reinforce the narrow sides 2318, 2320, ..., 3218, 3220, in other embodiments, any or both longitudinal edges 2338, 2340, ..., 3238, 3240 of the insert 2334 ... 3234 are bent with and in the longitudinal edges 2382, 2380, ..., 3282, 3280 and 2378, 2384, ..., 3278, 3284 the first and second parts 2312, 2314, ..., 3212, 3214 tubes. Still other other flat tube designs may include bending with the longitudinal edges of the solid strip, as mentioned above.

In any of the two-piece flat tube embodiments described with reference to FIGS. 25-34, it is assumed that during the entire manufacturing process of the flat tube 1710, ..., 3210, the width of any of the longitudinal joints 1744, 1746, .. ., 3244, 3246 or gradations 1716, ..., 3216 can be adjusted for various tubes 1710, ..., 3210. As a result, a sharp change in the thickness of the wide sides 1722, 1724, ..., 3222, 3224 can be compensated, reduced or even excluded. For purposes of illustration, it may be observed that the distance e illustrated in FIGS. 31 and 32B (representing the distance from the longitudinal edge 2156, 2256 of the terminal to the far end of the corresponding narrow side of the tube 2120, 2220) is significantly greater in the embodiment of FIG. than in the embodiment of FIGS. 32A and 32B. This distance e may vary in any of the embodiments as desired.

Figures 35-45 illustrate several flat tube inserts according to various embodiments of the present invention, any of which may be used in any of the flat tube embodiments described and / or illustrated herein. In many embodiments, an insert can be described as having a series of peaks and troughs at least partially forming flow channels along a flat tube.

The flat tubes 3310, 3410, 3510, 3610 illustrated in FIGS. 35-45 include an inner insert 3334, 3434, 3534, 3634 with a series of elongated holes 3386, 3486, 3586, 3686, generally formed at vertices 3388, 3488, 3588, 3688 and / or depressions 3390, 3490, 3590, 3690 of insert 3334, 3434, 3534, 3634. Elongated holes 3386, 3486, 3586, 3686 extend, generally in the longitudinal direction along insert 3334, 3434, 3534, 3634 (i.e., in a direction that extends generally longitudinally along the inside of the flat tube 3310, 3410, 3510, 3610 into which insert 3334, 3434, 3534, 3634 will be installed). In some flat tube designs 3310, 3410, 3510, 3610, oblong holes 3386, 3486, 3586, 3686 can be interrupted by bridges 3392, 3492, 3592, 3692. Bridges 3392, 3492, 3592, 3692 can be oriented so as to be along substantially parallel to the wide sides 3312, 3314, 3412, 3414, 3512, 3514, 3612, 3614 of the flat tube 3310, 3410, 3510, 3610 and can be spaced at any desired regular or irregular intervals in the longitudinal direction of the insert 3334, 3434, 3534, 3634.

By making oblong holes 3386, 3486, 3586, 3686 in the insert 3334, 3434, 3534, 3634, as described above, the weight of the insert 3334, 3434, 3534, 3634 (and therefore a heat exchanger equipped with flat tubes 3310, 3410, 3510, 3610 having such inserts 3334, 3434, 3534, 3634) can be significantly reduced relative to insert 3334, 3434, 3534, 3634, which does not include such oblong holes 3386, 3486, 3586, 3686.

Based on the design of the inner insert 3334, 3434, 3534, 3634, it is assumed that the weight of the inner insert 3334, 3434, 3534, 3634 can be reduced to 50% by including oblong holes 3386, 3486, 3586, 3686 in comparison with the continuously corrugated inner insert 3334 , 3434, 3534, 3634 similar sizes.

In some embodiments, inserts 3334, 3434, 3534, 3634 described above and illustrated in FIGS. 35-45 are formed by cutting a sheet of material (e.g., infinite or limited length of aluminum, aluminum alloy, copper, brass or other metal or other material ) and bending parts 12 of the cut sheet from the plane relative to the original sheet. For example, in the designs of inserts 3334, 3434, 3534, 3634 shown in FIGS. 35-45, the inner inserts 3334, 3434, 3534, 3634 can be formed from a relatively thin sheet metal thickness of the order of 0.03 mm (0.0011811 inches) . The bent portions may include elongated slots that open by folding the sheet material adjacent to the slots from a plane relative to the original sheet. Bends can be performed in both directions from the plane of the original sheet or only in one direction from the plane, thereby forming inserts 3334, 3434, 3534, 3634, having different shapes. Additional cutting can be carried out in order to simplify such bends, for example, slots perpendicular and connected to the elongated slots just described. In some embodiments, the folded portions include arched edges 3394, 3494, 3594, 3694, as illustrated, for example, in the embodiments of FIGS. 35-45. In some embodiments, the cuts made in the sheet of material (before folding) and the resulting elongated holes 3386, 3486, 3586, 3686 and bridges 3392, 3492, 3592, 3692 form a double T.

It was found that the required stability of the internal pressure can be achieved in the framework of flat tubes, including inserts 3334, 3434, 3534, 3634, illustrated in Figs. 35-45. More specifically, the solder surfaces of the inserts 3334, 3434, 3534, 3634 shown in FIGS. 35-45 (formed by the tops of the arched edges 3394, 3494, 3594, 3694) are large enough to provide a strong bond between the inserts 3334, 3434, 3534, 3634 and the wide sides 3322, 3324, 3422, 3424, 3522, 3524 of the flat tube 3310, 3410, 3510, 3610. The sides of the arched edges 3394, 3494, 3594, 3694 can be joined together by means of brazing arcs edges 3394, 3494, 3594, 3694 to the corresponding wide sides 3322, 3324, 3422, 3424, 3522, 3524, 3622, 3624 flat tubes 3310, 3410, 3510, 3610. Such designs of lamellas or inner inserts 3334, 3434, 3534, 3634 are often called lamellas with a flat surface.

The use of inserts 3334, 3434, 3534, 3634 described above with reference to the flat tubes illustrated in FIGS. 35-45 and described elsewhere in this document provides excellent results. For example, the bonds just described provide added strength to the flat tubes of the present invention constructed from a relatively thin sheet material having the dimensions described previously. Advantages have also been found regarding pressure losses experienced by using such inner inserts 3334, 3434, 3534, 3634. Moreover, inner inserts 3334, 3434, 3534, 3634 having oblong holes 3386, 3486, 3586, 3686 and bridges 3392, 3492 , 3592, 3692, as described above, can help prevent a simple perpendicular movement of the first and second parts 3312, 3314, 3412, 3414, 3512, 3514, 3612, 3614 of the flat tube 3310, 3410, 3510, 3610 from each other. For example, this structure allows preventing the first and second parts of the flat tube 3312, 3412, 3512, 3612 from sliding in the longitudinal direction of the flat tube 3310, 3410, 3510, 3610 relative to the other part of the flat tube 3314, 3414, 3514, 3614 during the manufacturing process, implemented to create a complete flat tube assembly. One reason is that peaks 3388, 3488, 3588, 3688 and troughs 3390, 3490, 3590, 3690 having oblong holes 3386, 3486, 3596, 3696 described above can exert elastic force from the inside of the flat tube 3310, 3410, 3510, 3610 on the wide sides 3322, 3324, 3422, 3424, 3522, 3524, 3622, 3624, thereby placing the wide sides 3322, 3324, 3422, 3424, 3522, 3524, 3622, 3624 under tension so that prevent or reduce such a shift.

In each of the embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 35-45, inserts 3334, 3434, 3534, 3634 are received in two-piece flat tubes 3310, 3410, 3510, 3610, in which longitudinal seams 3344, 3346, 3444, 3446, 3544, 3546, 3644, 3646, connecting the two parts of the flat tube 3310, 3410, 3510, 3610, extend to and at least partially are located in different parts 3312, 3314, 3412, 3414, 3512, 3514, 3612, 3614. In each embodiment, the two parts 3312, 3314, 3412, 3414, 3512, 3514, 3612, 3614 are essentially identical to each other. However, in other embodiments, inserts 3334, 3434, 3534, 3634 can be used in any of the other one-piece or two-part flat tubes of the present invention described herein. For example, two parts 3312, 3314, 3412, 3414, 3512, 3514, 3612, 3614 can be arranged so that one longitudinal seam 3344, 3444, 3544, 3644 is in one wide lateral side 3324, 3424, 3524, 3624, and another longitudinal seam 3346, 3446, 3546, 3646 is on the other wide lateral side 3322, 3422, 3522, 3622 of the flat tube 3310, 3410, 3510, 3610, for example, in the embodiment of the present invention illustrated in FIGS. 25 and 26. B in such embodiments, one longitudinal edge 3354, 3356, 3454, 3456, 3554, 3556, 3654, 3656 of each of the two parts 3312, 3314, 3412, 3414, 3512, 3514, 3612, 3614 freely passes essentially inside flat tube 3310, 3410, 3510, 3610. As a result, the two parts 3312, 3314, 3412, 3414, 3512, 3514, 3612, 3614 can have relatively large tolerances in width, as described above with reference to the illustrated embodiment according to FIG. .25 and 26. In other embodiments, both longitudinal seams 3344, 3346, 3444, 3446, 3544, 3546, 3644, 3646 are placed so as to extend in one wide side 3322, 3422, 3522, 3622 or 3324, 3424, 3524 , 3624, for example, in the embodiment of the present invention illustrated in FIG.

In some embodiments, either or both of the longitudinal edges 3338, 3340, 3448, 3440, 3548, 3540, 3648, 3640, inserts 3334, 3434, 3534, 3634 may extend into the corresponding narrow side 3318, 3320, 3418, 3420, 3518 , 3520, 3618, 3620, and may be shaped so as to line at least a portion of the interior of the narrow side 3318, 3320, 3418, 3420, 3518, 3520, 3618, 3620 by any of the methods described above with reference to the illustrated embodiments of FIGS. 25-34. For example, either or both of the longitudinal edges 3338, 3340, 3448, 3440, 3548, 3540, 3648, 3640 of the insert 3334, 3434, 3534, 3634 may include gradation 3472, 3672 (see, for example, the embodiments according to FIG. .39-42 and 45) and / or an arched edge 3374, 3474, 3574, 3674 to reinforce either or both of the narrow narrow sides 3318, 3320, 3418, 3420, 3518, 3520, 3618, 3620.

This relationship between the insert 3334, 3434, 3534, 3634 and the flat tube 3310, 3410, 3510, 3610 allows you to provide significant advantages in strength and stability, as described above. In these embodiments, the thickness of the reinforced narrow narrow sides 3318, 3320, 3418, 3420, 3518, 3520, 3618, 3620 corresponds to the sum of the thicknesses of the first and second parts 3312, 3314, 3412, 3414, 3512, 3514, 3612, 3614 of the tube and the thickness of the insert 3334, 3434, 3534, 3634. In some embodiments, taking into account this relationship, each of the first and second parts 3312, 3314, 3412, 3414, 3512, 3514, 3612, 3614 of the tube may have a thickness of not more than approximately 0.15 mm (0 , 00591 inches). Moreover, each of the first and second parts 3312, 3314, 3412, 3414, 3512, 3514, 3612, 3614 of the tube may have a thickness greater than approximately 0.10 mm (0.003937 inches). Also or alternatively, in such embodiments, the insert thickness 3334, 3434, 3534, 3634 is not more than 0.10 mm (0.003937 inches). For example, a flat tube 3310, 3410, 3510, 3610 may have first and second parts 3312, 3314, 3412, 3414, 3512, 3514, 3612, 3614 tubes, each with a thickness of about 0.12 mm (0.0047224 inches), and in which the insert 3334, 3434, 3534, 3634 has a thickness of not more than approximately 0.10 mm (0.003937 inches). In other embodiments, the thickness of each of the first and second parts 3312, 3314, 3412, 3414, 3512, 3514, 3612, 3614 of the tube and insert 3334, 3434, 3534, 3634 may be not less than about 0.15 mm (0.0059055) to provide a relatively inexpensive heat exchanger with good heat transfer and strength properties. In addition, in some embodiments, the thickness of the first and second parts 3312, 3314, 3412, 3414, 3512, 3514, 3612, 3614 of the tube and / or insert 3334, 3434, 3534, 3634 is not less than about 0.03 mm (0, 0011811 inches). In other embodiments, inserts 3334, 3434, 3534, 3634 may have any of the thicknesses of the inserts described above with reference to the illustrated embodiments of FIGS. 25-34.

As best shown in FIGS. 35, 39, 44, and 45, in some embodiments, the inserts 3334, 3434, 3534, 3634 illustrated in FIGS. 35-45 are shaped such that the vertices 3388, 3488, 3588, 3688, and the troughs 3390, 3490, 3590, 3690 described above form corrugations 3352, 3452, 3552, 3652 extending in the longitudinal direction of the inserts 3334, 3434, 3534, 3634. The sides of these corrugations 3352, 3452, 3552, 3652 can be perpendicular or along essentially perpendicular to the wide side sides 3322, 3324, 3422, 3424, 3522, 3524 flat tubes 3310, 3410, 3510 (see Fig. 35, 39 and 44) or can form an angle of inclination relative to the wide side with toron 3622, 3624 of flat tube 3610. In any of the illustrated embodiments of FIGS. 35-45, perpendicular or angled corrugations can be used if necessary. Additionally, the inner insert 3334, 3434, 3534, 3634 can be made of several fragments, so that the resulting flat tube assembly includes four or more segments in some embodiments.

In some embodiments (including embodiments in which the inner insert 3334, 3434, 3534, 3634 is constructed from a single sheet of material, as described above), the inner insert 3334, 3434, 3534, 3634 generally rolls in the longitudinal direction of the inner insert 3334 , 3434, 3534, 3634 or flat tube 3310, 3410, 3510, 3610. In some manufacturing processes of the flat tube 3310, 3410, 3510, 3610, for example, two types of rollers are provided to roll the inner insert 3334, 3434, 3534, 3634 and form oblong holes 3386, 3486, 3586, 3686, peaks 3388, 3488, 3588, 3688 and depressions 3390, 3490, 3590, 3690 in the longitudinal direction, as described above. The first roller may be a cutting roller for forming slots on a substantially flat sheet. The second roller may be a rolling roller for forming the peaks 3388, 3488, 3588, 3688 and depressions 3390, 3490, 3590, 3690, forming arched edges 3394, 3494, 3594, 3694 in Fig.35-45. Similar to the structures described above, the longitudinal seams 3344, 3346, 3444, 3446, 3544, 3546, 3644, 3646 of the first and second parts 12 3312, 3314, 3412, 3414, 3512, 3514, 3612, 3614 of the tube forming a flat tube 3310, 3410, 3510, 3610, extend from the narrow sides 3318, 3320, 3418, 3420, 3518, 3520, 3618, 3620 to the wide sides 3322, 3324, 3422, 3424, 3522, 3524, 3622, 3624 of the flat tube 3310, 3410 , 3510, 3610. As in the case of the previously described two-piece embodiments, the gradations 3316, 3416, 3516, 3616, however, can lie in the wide sides 3322, 3324, 3422, 3424, 3522, 3524, 3622, 3624. As also described in previous va In embodiments, the gradation width is 3316, 3416, 3516, 3616 (measured to the far end of the corresponding narrow side 3318, 3320, 3418, 3420, 3518, 3520, 3618, 3620) can be determined based on the manufacturing process and the required flat tube specifications 3310, 3410, 3510, 3610.

As shown in FIGS. 35-45, in some designs of a flat tube 3310, 3410, 3510, 3610 having an insert 3334, 3434, 3534, 3634 with oblong holes 3386, 3486, 3586, 3686 and bridges 3390, 3492, 3590, 3690 as described herein (including embodiments having relatively thin tube wall materials described above), it was found that a small flat tube diameter d of at least about 0.7 mm (0.027559 inches), provides good performance results in many applications, such as radiators. It has also been found that a small flat tube diameter d of not more than about 1.5 mm (0.059055 inches) provides good performance results in many applications, such as radiators, and in particular in flat tube embodiments according to the present invention having relatively thin tube wall materials described above. In the case of charge-intermediate heat exchangers and other applications, it has been found that a small diameter d can be larger than about 10.0 mm (0.3937 inches), while still providing good efficiency results. It should also be noted that instead of other embodiments, any of the small and large diameters D, d described above with reference to all flat tube embodiments disclosed herein may be used. The large diameter D of the two-piece flat tubes 3310, 3410, 3510, 3610 illustrated in FIGS. 35, 39, 44 and 45 can have any desired size (also including the dimensions described above with reference to all embodiments of flat tubes, disclosed herein), at least in part based on the width of the starting material used to construct the flat tube 3310, 3410, 3510, 3610. In this regard, if the rolling rollers are used to form the flat tubes, these clips (not shown) can be from adjustable to produce wider or narrower flat tubes 3310, 3410, 3510, 3610. In other designs, rollers for making flat tubes 3310, 3410, 3510, 3610 can be replaced according to the required dimensions of the flat tube 3310, 3410, 3510, 3610 .

In some flat tube designs 3310, 3410, 3510, 3610, illustrated in the embodiments of FIGS. 35-45, the first and second parts 3312, 3314, 3412, 3414, 3512, 3514, 3612, 3614 of the tube and / or insert 3334, 3434, 3534, 3634 may include a solder coating for the purpose of attaching two or more of these fragments and / or in some cases another element (for example, a tray for cooling the heat exchanger). Although in some embodiments, the first and second parts 3312, 3314, 3412, 3414, 3512, 3514, 3612, 3614, and / or the insert 3334, 3434, 3534, 3634 are constructed of aluminum or an aluminum alloy, in other embodiments, any or all of these parts can be constructed from other materials, whether or not suitable for brazing.

With specific reference to the illustrated embodiment of FIGS. 35-38, in some embodiments, bridges 3390 interrupting elongated holes 3386 are not continuous or aligned with other bridges spanning the entire width of insert 3334. Instead, bridges 3390 interrupting an elongated hole, can be arranged in steps (that is, placed in different longitudinal positions along insert 3334) with respect to adjacent bridges 3390 on either or both sides of the oblong hole 3386. In other embodiments, the Alignments, such as those shown in FIGS. 39-42, bridges 3492 interrupting an elongated hole 3486 can be aligned so that two or more bridges 3492 interrupting adjacent elongated holes 3486 are aligned or substantially aligned in one longitudinal position along the insert 3444. In any embodiment, the distance along each flow channel 3316, 3416 between the bridges 3390, 3492 may be discrete (ie, not exchange fluid with adjacent flow channels 3316, 3416), since the wide sides 3322, 3324 3422, 3424 may akryvat elongated holes 3386, 3486. While the arrangement of the bridges shown in the embodiments according fig.35-42 provide advantages in terms of manufacturing, the bridges may be arranged in any other desired manner.

The hydraulic diameter defined by the flow channels 3316, 3416 is formed by the corresponding design of the peaks 3388, 3488 and depressions 3488, 3490 of the insert 3334, 3434. The hydraulic diameter can be relatively small, for example, given a small diameter d of approximately 0.8 mm ( 0.031496 inches) and a relatively large number of channels 3316, 3416 for flow across the width of the insert 3334, 3434.

As shown in FIGS. 35-38, the illustrated corrugations 3352 “oscillate” approximately around the mid-plane of the insert 3334 (or flat tube 3310). In other words, the sides and arched edges 3374 of the insert 3334 extend in opposite directions to the first and second parts 3312, 3314 of the tube from a portion of the insert 3334 formed between and substantially parallel to the wide sides of the flat tube 3310 3322, 3324. Although this part is between the wide side sides 3322, 3324 can be placed in the middle plane of the insert 3334, for example, as shown in Fig. 37, this part, from which the peaks 3390 and depressions 3388 extend, can be placed anywhere between the extrema of the insert 3334 to either side of the original plane th sheet. It should also be noted that the insert design 3334 shown in FIG. 35 has oblong holes 3386 formed at the peaks 3390 and depressions 3388 of the illustrated corrugations 3352, although such openings 3386, 3388 do not have to form at the vertices 3390 and depressions 3388 in other embodiments implementation.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 38-42, corrugations 3452 are instead formed on one side of the insert 3434. In particular, the insert 3434 is not in the mid-plane relative to the wide sides of the flat tube 3410 3422, 3424, but instead is approximately in the lower wide side side 3424 of the flat tube 3410. Moreover, the design of the insert 3434 shown in FIG. 39 has oblong holes 3486 only at the vertices 3488 of the illustrated corrugations 3452.

In some embodiments, any of the inserts described herein may be divided into two or more sections across the width of the inserts to form two or more flow channels, which in some embodiments are isolated from each other with respect to fluids. This separation may be formed by one or more longitudinally extending sections defined in whole or in part by insertion. For example, in the embodiments of FIGS. 44 and 45, each of the inner inserts 3534, 3634 is formed using one section 3596, 3696 so as to equip the flat tube 3510, 3610 with at least two flow chambers having any desired number of channels 3516 , 3616 for the stream. Thus, separation of the two liquid media flowing in the flat tube 3510, 3610 is achieved. Each of the flat tubes 3510, 3610 shown in FIGS. 44 and 45 includes two such flow chambers, allowing (for example) the medium to flow forward in one a flow chamber in one direction and allowing the same or another medium to flow backward in another flow chamber in the opposite direction.

A series of flat tubes according to various embodiments of the present invention are described above as being constructed from a single piece of material (see, for example, the illustrated embodiments of FIGS. 16-23, which show a series of flat tubes 910, 1010, 1110, 1210, 1310, 1410, 1510, 1610, each of which has a number of internal folds 928, 1028, 1128, 1228, 1328, 1428, 1528, 1628 formed by the first and second parts 912, 914, 1012, 1014, 1112, 1114, 1212, 1214, 1312 , 1314, 1412, 1414, 1512, 1514, 1612, 1614 of one piece of material used to construct pipes ku 910, 1010, 1110, 1210, 1310, 1410, 1510, 1610). As described in more detail above, the internal bends 928, 1028, 1128, 1228, 1328, 1428, 1528, 1628, at least partially form a series of channels 916, 1016, 1116, 1216, 1316, 1416, 1516, 1616 for flow through the flat tubes 910, 1010, 1110, 1210, 1310, 1410, 1510, 1610.

In other embodiments of the present invention, the whole flat tube may be equipped with an insert constructed from a single piece of material received inside (and in some embodiments, fixed inside) of the whole flat tube. Two examples of such flat tubes 3710, 3810, having inserts 3734, 3834, are shown in FIGS. 46-47 and 48. Similarly to the solid flat tubes described above, the flat tube 3710, 3810 can be constructed from a sheet (eg, strip) of relatively thin material forming the wide sides 3722, 3724, 3822, 3824 and two reinforced narrow sides 3718, 3720, 3818, 3820 of the flat tube 3710, 3810. In some embodiments, it has been found that the thickness of the sheet of material may be less than about 0.15 mm (0.0059055 inches) to provide good results Its effectiveness in many applications. Also, in some embodiments, the inventors have found that the sheet thickness of the material can be greater than about 0.03 mm (about 0.0011811 inches) to provide good performance results in many applications. It should be understood that the thickness of the sheet of material may have other sizes not listed in this document.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 46-48, the longitudinal edges 3778, 3782, 3878, 3882 of the sheet of material are shaped and move together so that one longitudinal edge 3778, 3878 adjoins the other longitudinal edge 3782, 3882 to form a narrow lateral side 3718, 3818 of the flat tube 3710, 3810. This narrow side 3718, 3818 can be formed by at least one 180 ° bend of the sheet of material in the narrow side 3718, 3818 or by one or more other types of bends (more described below) used to close the narrow Shackle side 3718, 3818. Other narrow lateral side 3720, 3820 formed at least partially by bending the sheet of material to bring together the first and second longitudinal edges 3778, 3782, 3878, 3882, as just described. In some embodiments, the implementation of this other narrow side 3720, 3820 may include at least triple wall thickness by folding the sheet of material onto itself twice in the direction of the narrow side 3720, 3820.

In some embodiments, the manufacturing process of the flat tube 3710, 3810 may include bending or otherwise forming longitudinal edges 3778, 3782, 3878, 3882, which are brought together to close the flat tube 3710, 3810, before folding the sheet of material to form reinforcing folds 3730, 3830 (indicated as F in FIGS. 46-48) in the narrow side 3720, 3820, as described above. In other embodiments, these processes are performed simultaneously or substantially simultaneously.

In some embodiments of the integral flat tube, such as the integral flat tube 3710 shown in FIGS. 46 and 47, one longitudinal edge 3778 of the sheet of material used to form the tube 3710 forms an arc shape larger than the arc shape of the other longitudinal edge 3782 One advantage of this design is that when a larger arcuate longitudinal edge 3778 is formed around a smaller arcuate longitudinal edge 3782, the finished flat tube 3710 generally does not open or is resistant to open uw. However, in other embodiments, the longitudinal edges 3778 may have shapes other than shapes that are arcuate. For example, the longitudinal edges 3878, 3882 illustrated in FIG. 48 may be joined together and have a number of different shapes, including without limitation, any of the shapes of the longitudinal edges illustrated and / or described above with reference to FIGS. 2 and 6 -eleven. In addition, the longitudinal edges 3878, 3882, illustrated in FIG. 48, can be joined together with any or both of the longitudinal edges 3738, 3740 and thereby have a number of different shapes, including without limitation, any of the shapes of the longitudinal edges, illustrated and / or described above with reference to FIGS. 14 and 15.

The narrow sides 3718, 3720, 3818, 3820 of the solid flat tubes 3710, 3810 shown in FIGS. 46-48 have a thickness of at least two times the thickness of the sheet material used to construct the tubes 3710, 3810 Two of the illustrated narrow sides 3720, 3820 have a thickness that is three times the thickness of the sheet material, based on the outer folds 3730, 3830 created in the regions of these narrow sides 3720, 3820. In other embodiments, additional reinforcement is narrow side 3718, 3720, 3818, 3820 can be achieved by forming one or more folds 3730, 3830 at the narrow side positions 3718, 3720, 3818, 3820. Any of the types of folds described with reference to any of the embodiments of FIGS. 1-24 for reinforcing the narrow side formed by two connected longitudinal edges can be used to reinforce the first narrow lateral side 3718, 3818, illustrated in Figures 46-48. Similarly, any of the types of folds described with reference to any of the embodiments of FIGS. 16-24 for reinforcing the narrow side formed by a continuous sheet of material can be used to reinforce the second narrow side 3720, 3820, illustrated in FIGS. 46-48.

In each of the two illustrated embodiments of FIGS. 46-48, the inner insert 3734, 3834 is housed in the flat tube 3710, 3810 when the flat tube 3710, 3810 is manufactured. In some embodiments, the insert 3734, 3834 may be inserted after the second narrow side sides 3720, 3820 (forming the reinforcing folds 3730, 3830 described above), while the flat tube 3710, 3810 is still partially open, as shown in FIGS. 46-48. Alternatively or in addition, either or both of the wide flanks 3722, 3724 of the flat tube 3710, 3810 may have internal folds similar to the folds illustrated in FIGS. 1-13 and 16-24 (for example), at least partially forming channels for flow.

One exemplary process for forming a single flat tube 3710 with insert 3734 is illustrated in FIG. 46 as an example. First, a fold 3730 (indicated as F) is created, and at the same time, longitudinal edges 3778, 3782 are formed. Alternatively, only one longitudinal edge 3778, 3782 is formed, while the other longitudinal edge 3782, 3778 remains unformed. In the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 46 and in the manufacturing step shown in illustration (a) of FIG. 46, one longitudinal edge 3782 with an arc 3762 is already completed, and the other longitudinal edge 3778 is provided with a simple bend, which then needs to be formed into a large arc 3766 extending at least partially around an arc 3762 formed by a first longitudinal edge 3782.

In the manufacturing step shown in illustration (b) of FIG. 46, two reinforcing folds 3730 are completed by adding a fold 3730 to a fold 3730 shown in illustration (a). Therefore, in the region of these folds 3730, a triple thickness of the sheet material used to form the solid flat tube 3710 is formed.

In the manufacturing step shown in illustration (c) of FIG. 46, the folds 3730 begin to form a second narrow side 3720 of the flat tube 3710 by folding the folds 3730. In this intermediate step of the manufacturing process, a gradation 3758 is formed on one of the wide sides 3722, substantially adjacent to the folds 3730, to provide a smooth inner surface of the one-piece flat tube 3710. A gradation 3758 may also be formed on the other wide lateral side 3724, substantially adjacent to the folds 3730 in an alternative design ii smooth surface tube 3710. Tube 3710 formed by such gradations 3758, and their ability to fold the longitudinal edge 3730 or 3778 recessed manner may be advantageous in cases when the tube 3710 is to be brazed, welded or bonded to other elements.

Further, in the manufacturing step shown in illustration (d) of FIG. 46, the corrugated inner insert 3734 is inserted into the flat tube 3710, although inserts having any of the other forms described herein may be used instead. One of the longitudinal edges 3738 of the corrugated inner insert 3734 may first be placed in a small arc 3762 of the longitudinal edge 3782. Alternatively, one longitudinal edge 3740 of the inner insert 3734 may first be placed in the narrow side 3720 opposite the small arc 3762, as shown in FIG. 46 and 47. The inner insert 3734 may be under certain pre-tensioning when inserted in the step shown in illustration (d) of FIG. 46 and FIG. 47. More specifically, the insert 3734 can be formed so as to have a tension that extends the insert 3734 slightly from the wide side 3724 or forcibly forms an extension of the insert 3734 against the compression required to fit the insert 3734 into the flat tube 3710, and therefore is pushed into narrow lateral sides 3718, 3720 during complete closure of the entire flat tube 3710. At the manufacturing stage shown in illustration (e) of FIG. 46, a large arc 3766 is formed in the longitudinal edge 3778 and is placed around the small arc 3762 on the other longitudinal edge 3782, thereby closing the entire flat tube 3710. The aforementioned slight curvature of the inner insert 3734 (if any) is eliminated by this, and both formed longitudinal edges 3738, 3740 of the inner insert 3734 are installed in the narrow lateral sides 3718, 3720 of the flat tube 3710.

The process of forming the entire flat tube 3810 illustrated in FIG. 48 is in many respects similar to the process described above with reference to the embodiment of FIGS. 46 and 47. Therefore, with the exception of the features described below and any inconsistent or incompatible description above, reference is made to the description above regarding the manufacture of flat tube 3710, for further information regarding the manufacture of flat tube 3810.

In the manufacturing step shown in illustration (a) of FIG. 48, one sheet of material used to form the flat tube 3810 includes a fold 3830 that partially forms the second narrow side 3820 of the entire flat tube 3810. After forming still one overlapping fold at the same position on one sheet of material, the sheet of material bends at the position, as best shown in illustration (c) of FIG. 48. The first reinforced narrow lateral side 3818 is at least partially formed from opposite longitudinal edges 3878, 3882, brought together so as to cover the entire flat tube 3810 (see illustrations (d) and (e) of FIG. 48). The closure of the integral flat tube 3810 is accomplished by butt bending or folding the opposite longitudinal edges 3878, 3882 and the longitudinal edge 3838 of the inner insert 3834. More specifically, the longitudinal edge 3838 of the inner insert 3834 is between the two longitudinal edges 3878, 3882. It should be noted that the flat tube 3810 shown in illustration (f) of FIG. 48 is not necessarily in the final manufacturing stage. Bends defined by edges 3878, 3882, 3838 can be arranged opposite each other, as shown in FIGS. 14 and 15. However, as mentioned above, any of the other designs of reinforced folds of narrow lateral sides can be used instead. described and / or illustrated herein in a required manner. In general, the number of folds or folds made to form the narrow side 3818 at least partially determines the stability of the narrow side 3818.

If required, the flat tubes 3710, 3810 illustrated in FIGS. 46-48 can be equipped with reinforcements placed in predetermined areas, such as places on either or both wide sides of 3722, 3724, 3822, 3824 flat tubes 3710, 3810, where heat transfer is expected. The reinforcements can take a number of different forms, such as one or more layers of sheet material, separate from the sheet of material forming the flat tubes 3710, 3810, and attached to it by brazing, welding or any other appropriate method, one or more folds of the sheet of material, used to construct flat tubes 3710, 3810, and the like.

Due to the relatively thin-walled material described above used in some embodiments to construct flat tubes 3710, 3810 (with or without reinforcements), the weight of the heat exchanger formed with flat tubes 3710, 3810 can be significantly reduced while improving heat transfer capacity. Another reason for the reduced weight and increased heat transfer capacity is that the wide sides 3722, 3724, 3822, 3824 of the flat tube 3710, 3810 are formed so that the tubes 3710, 3810 provide good solder joints with fins, flanges, or other heat transfer elements (not shown) that can be placed in the heat exchanger between two or more flat tubes 3710, 3810. Based on the features of the solid flat tube 3710, 3810 described above, the flat tubes 3710, 3810 have a substantially flat outer surface for connection to these lementami heat.

Additionally, it should be understood that the characteristics of the flat tubes 3710, 3810 described with reference to FIGS. 46-48 can also be applied to any of the other designs of flat tubes described in this application.

Regarding the method by which flat tubes 3710, 3810 can be manufactured, in some embodiments, two endless strips of sheet material are fed into a conveyor line 3701, such as illustrated in FIG. 49. In many cases, aluminum or an aluminum alloy is considered the preferred material for the manufacture of flat tubes 3710, 3810. However, other metals and materials are suitable for the manufacture of flat tubes 3710, 3810. With reference to the tubes 3710, 3810 shown in FIGS. 46-48, a sheet of material forming the first and second parts 3712, 3714, 3812, 3814 of the flat tube 3710, 3810 can be received from an endless strip of material (e.g., sheet metal), and the inner hole 3734, 3834 can be formed from another endless strip of material ( for example leaf about metal). At one of the initial stages of the roller conveyor line 3701 (prior to the formation of material strips in some embodiments), perforations can be added to the material strips at distances that correspond to the desired length of individual tubes. In some embodiments, sheets of material may be formed after perforation of the strips of sheet metal, although such perforation may be performed during or after this sheet formation. As shown in FIG. 49, the insertion region 3703, in which the inner insert 3734, 3834 is inserted into the flat tube 3710, 3810, is located at the bottom of the roller conveyor line 3701. Prior to insertion of the inner insert 3734, 3834 into the integral flat tube 3710, 3810, the aforementioned perforations must be substantially aligned with each other (i.e., all lie on a common plane substantially perpendicular to the integral flat tube 3710, 3810 in some embodiments), so that the individual tubes 3710, 3810 can be further separated.

The embodiments of the one-piece flat tubes illustrated in FIGS. 46-48 have an insert 3734, 3834, which is detached from and placed in the corresponding flat tube 3710, 3810. However, in other embodiments, it has been found that a one-piece flat a tube having an insert that is integrally formed with a whole tube (i.e., formed from the same whole piece of sheet material used to construct a flat tube 3710, 3810). As an example, five such flat tubes 3910, 4010, 4110, 4210, 4310 are illustrated in FIGS. 50-54. It should be noted that the features described below with reference to FIGS. 50-54 are also applicable to any of the other flat embodiments tubes described in this document, with the exception of signs that are inconsistent or incompatible with them.

In each of the illustrated embodiments of FIGS. 50-54, one piece of sheet material (eg, a strip of sheet metal) is formed in a flat tube 3910, 4010, 4110, 4210, 4310 and insert 3934, 4034, 4134, 4234, 4334. Flat tubes 3910, 4010, 4110, 4210, 4310, illustrated in FIGS. 50-54, include opposed reinforced narrow sides 3918, 3920, 4018, 4020, 4118, 4120, 4218, 4220, 4318, 4320 and relatively low wall thickness . In some embodiments, it has been found that the sheet thickness of the material can be less than about 0.15 mm (about 0.0059055 inches) to provide good performance results in many applications. Also, in some embodiments, it has been found that the thickness of the sheet of material can be greater than about 0.03 mm (about 0.0011811 inches) to provide good performance results in many applications. It should be understood that the thickness of the sheet of material may have other sizes not listed in this document. As a result of such a relatively thin thickness of the sheet material that can be used in some embodiments, flat tube heat exchangers 3910, 4010, 4110, 4210, 4310 may have a relatively low weight and an increased heat transfer rate. In addition, due to the fact that both narrow lateral sides 3918, 3920, 4018, 4020, 4118, 4120, 4218, 4220, 4318, 4320 of the one-piece flat tubes 3910, 4010, 4110, 4210, 4310 can be reinforced, as described in more detail below, the need to mark the orientation of the solid flat tubes 3910, 4010, 4110, 4210, 4310 during assembly of the heat exchanger can be reduced or eliminated.

Each of the tubes described below with reference to FIGS. 50-54 may have any sizes described above with reference to the embodiments of FIGS. 1-34. For example, in some embodiments, any of the solid flat tubes 3910, 4010, 4110, 4210, 4310 illustrated in FIGS. 50-54 may have a small diameter d greater than about 0.7 mm (0.027559 inches). In addition, in some embodiments, any of these tubes 3910, 4010, 4110, 4210, 4310 may have a small diameter d of less than about 15 mm (0.59055 inches). As another example, any of the one-piece flat tubes 3910, 4010, 4110, 4210, 4310 illustrated in FIGS. 50-54 may have a large diameter D greater than about 8 mm (0.31496 inches). In addition, in some embodiments, any of these tubes 3910, 4010, 4110, 4210, 4310 may have a large diameter D of less than about 300 mm (11.811 inches). However, it should be noted that in other embodiments, any of the small and large diameters D, d described above with reference to all flat tube embodiments disclosed herein may be used.

In particular, as shown in FIG. 50, the flat tube 3910 is formed from a single sheet of material having a center portion 3905 formed in a wave-like fashion to form flow channels 3916 in the resulting integral tube 3910. The center portion 3905 of the sheet of material is flanked on both sides of the sets folds 3930 used to reinforce the corresponding narrow side 3918, 3920 of the one-piece flat tube 3910. In other embodiments, the central portion 3905 flanks only on one side with a set of hems bob 3930 (for example, in cases where only one narrow side 3918, 3920 of the entire flat tube 3910 should be reinforced in this way). In addition, it should be noted that the central part 3905 can be flanked on either side by any number of reinforcing folds, and that the folds need not be the same in number, shape or size on opposite sides of the central part 3905. In the illustrated embodiment 50, the sheet of material also has external parts 3907 forming wide sides 3922, 3924 of a single flat tube 3910. External parts 3907 extend from and are integral with the sets of folds 3930 described in above, and are formed so that at least partially contain sets of folds 3930. In other embodiments, the implementation of the outer parts 3907 do not contain or do not completely contain the folds 3930, while the outer parts 3907 are bent so as to at least close the channels 3916 for flow in a one-piece flat tube 3910. It should also be noted that the sheet of material is formed so as to form only one outer part (for example, extending from folds on only one of the two sides of the central part 3905), which can extend around centrally portion 3905 to close the chamber 3916 supplies.

In some embodiments, the flat tube 3910 shown in FIG. 50 can be effectively formed on a roller line (such as the roller line 3701 shown in FIG. 49) from an endless sheet of material, such as an endless strip or sheet metal tape 3909 or other proper material as shown in FIG. 50 (a). The strip of material 3909 includes two longitudinal edges 3938, 3940. First, as shown in FIG. 50 (b), two sets of several folds 3930 are created in the strip of material 3909 to form the narrow sides 3918, 3920 of the flat tube 3910 to be created later. Each illustrated set of several folds 3930 is formed of six 180 ° bends in a strip of material 3909, with adjacent folds 3930 adjacent to one another with little or no gap between adjacent folds 3930 between the bends forming folds 3930. The intervals shown between folds 3930 illustrated in FIG. 50 are for illustrative purposes only, to show in more detail the individual folds 3930. Moreover, although the six folds 3930 are shown in each set illustrated in FIG. 50, it should be noted that any other number bends 3930 may exist adjacent to the central portion 3905, as described above, defined in many embodiments, at least in part, by the required technical characteristics (e.g., dimensions) of the flat tube 3910.

As shown in FIG. 50 (c), the wave section 3911 is further formed between sets of several folds 3930. However, in other embodiments, the wave section 3911 may instead be formed at the same time or after the folds 3930 are formed. The wave section 3911 may have any number of corrugations with any desired shape, including without limitation, corrugations with sides inclined relative to the wide sides 3922, 3924 of a single flat tube 3910 after assembly, corrugations having the shape of a curved wave (for example, a sinusoid full form), corrugations having any other form described herein, and any combination of such forms.

The manufacturing process for forming the flat tube 3910 of FIG. 50 (d) proceeds according to two arrows indicated by dashed lines. In particular, after the formation of the folds 3930 and the wave-shaped section 3911, the portion 3913 of the bends connected to the sets of several folds 3930 are placed around the corresponding several folds 3930 and around the wave-shaped section 3911, thereby forming longitudinally extending flow channels 3916 for the flow from the whole flat tube. In other words, each bend section 3913 contains or at least partially contains one set of several folds 3930 from the outside and extends so as to cover the wave-like section 3911. In addition, one longitudinal edge 3978 is bent so as to lie on the first narrow side side 3918 and extend around and contain several folds 3230 in the first narrow lateral side 3918, and the other longitudinal edge 3980 is bent so as to lie on the second narrow lateral side 3920 and pass around and contain several folds 3230 in the second narrow side the side 3920, as shown in illustrations (c) and (d) of FIG. 50. In some embodiments of the flat tube 3910, the longitudinal edges 3978, 3980 do not cover or only partially cover the corresponding narrow sides 3918, 3920, since the narrow sides 3928, 3920 can be quite stable by providing several of the folds 3930 described above.

In the finished version of the flat tube 3910, such as illustrated in FIG. 50 (d), the wave peaks and wave troughs of the wave section 3911 (or other features of the central parts 3905 having various shapes forming flow channels 3916) are brazed, welded or attach in any other appropriate way to one or both wide sides of the 3922, 3924 solid flat tube 3910. More specifically, the points on the wave peaks and wave troughs shown in Fig. 50 (d) schematically illustrate the brazed joints that s can be made between the undulating section 3911 and the adjacent broad sides 3922, 3924.

Fig. 51 illustrates a one-piece flat tube according to a further embodiment of the present invention. This embodiment uses virtually the same structure and has many of the same properties as the flat tube embodiments described above with reference to FIG. 50. Accordingly, the following description is primarily oriented to the structure and features that differ from the embodiments described above with reference to FIG. 50. For additional information, reference is made to FIG. 50 regarding the structure and features, as well as possible alternatives to the one-piece flat tube illustrated in FIG. 51 and described below. The structure and features of the embodiment shown in FIG. 51, which correspond to the structure and features of the embodiment of FIG. 50, are indicated below by a series of 4000 reference numerals.

In particular, as shown in FIG. 51, a one-piece flat tube 4010 is formed from a single sheet of material (e.g., strip of sheet metal). In this particular embodiment, the center portion 4005 of the sheet of material is wave-shaped to form a wave-like section at least partially forming flow channels 4016 located between the wide sides of the flat tube 4010 4022, 4024. The center portion 4005 may take any of the shapes described above with reference to the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 50.

Alternatively, in or in addition to using several folds 3930, in order to reinforce the narrow ends 3918, 3920 of the entire flat tube 3910 (see FIG. 50), the solid flat tube 4010 illustrated in FIG. 51 uses profiles 4015 (i.e. wire spools, mandrels, hollow or solid inserts, etc.) in the narrow sides 4018, 4020. Profile 4015 may be placed on one or both narrow side sides 4018, 4020 and in some embodiments may complement one or more folds formed in either or both narrow lateral sides 4018, 4020 moreover, these folds are similar to folds 3030 described above with reference to Fig. 50. During the manufacturing process of the one-piece flat tube 4010, the profile 4015 can be uncoiled or otherwise laid longitudinally parallel to the sheet of material 4009. After processing the wave-like section 4011 between the placed profiles 4015, the bending parts 4013 of the sheet of material next to the profiles 4015 are wrapped around the profiles 4015 from the outside and laid in a wave-like sections 4011 to form the wide sides 4022, 4024 of the entire flat tube 4010, as shown by the dashed arrows in FIG. The bending portions 4013 are connected to the wave section 4011 and can also be connected to the profiles 4015 in the narrow sides 4018, 4020. In addition, each of the longitudinal edges 4078, 4080 of the sheet of material 4009 is bent around a corresponding profile 4015 and placed on the corresponding narrow side 4018 , 4020.

Accordingly, the narrow sides 4018, 4020 of the entire flat tube 4010 in FIG. 51 are formed from a single profile 4015 so that the narrow sides 4018, 4020 are covered by the corresponding longitudinal edge 4078, 4080 of the sheet of material 4009.

FIGS. 52-54 illustrate a one-piece flat tube with integral inserts according to further embodiments of the present invention. These embodiments use virtually the same structure and have many of the same properties as the flat tube embodiments described above with reference to FIGS. 50 and 51. Accordingly, the following description is primarily oriented to structure and features that differ from the embodiments described above with reference to FIGS. 50 and 51. Reference should be made to the description above with reference to FIGS. 50 and 51 for additional information regarding the structure and features of a solid flat tube illustrated in FIG. g.52-54 and described below. The structure and features of the embodiments shown in FIGS. 52, 53 m 54, which correspond to the structure and features of the embodiments of FIGS. 50 and 51, are indicated by series 4100, 4200 and 4300 below, respectively.

Figures 52-54 illustrate exemplary embodiments of a flat tube 4110, 4210, 4310 formed from a single sheet of material 4109, 4209, 4309 (for example, strips of aluminum, an alloy of aluminum or other metal, or an appropriate material), and show these flat tubes 4110, 4210, 4310 until they are fully formed. In these specific embodiments of the planar tube 4110, 4210, 4310, the sheet portion 4105, 4205, 4305 of the material sheet 4109, 4209, 4309 is formed in a wave-like manner and extends between the wide sides 4122, 4222, 4322 of the planar tube 4110, 4210, 4310 to form channels 4116, 4216, 4316 for flow. Additionally, each of the narrow sides 4118, 4120, 4218, 4220, 4318, 4320 is at least partially formed by the connecting section 4117, 4119, 4217, 4219, 4317, 4319 sheets of material 4109, 4209, 4309 and the longitudinal edge 4178 , 4180, 4278, 4280, 4378, 4380, comprising a connecting section 4117, 4119, 4217, 4219, 4317, 4319.

In the illustrated embodiments of FIGS. 52 and 53, the overlapping longitudinal edges 4178, 4180, 4278, 4280 and the connecting sections 4117, 4119, 4217, 4219 provide double wall thickness in the narrow sides 4118, 4120, 4218, 4220, which, in general is stable enough for many applications of the flat tube 4110, 4210, 4310, which use relatively thin wall materials (described above). In other embodiments, for example, in the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 54, a relatively stronger reinforcement of the narrow sides 4118, 4120, 4218, 4220 can be achieved by one or more folds 4330 of the connecting sections 4317, 4319. In other words, those parts of the sheet material 4309, which overlap through the longitudinal edges 4378, 4380 in the narrow lateral sides 4318, 4320, can additionally be reinforced by one or more folds 4330. In these embodiments, these folds 4330 are formed (for example example, are rounded) so as to at least partially form the narrow sides 4318, 4320 when the sheet of material 4309 is bent so as to bring the first and second wide sides 4322, 4324 into closed positions. Alternatively or in addition, the longitudinal edges 4378, 4380 in the narrow lateral sides 4318, 4320 may be equipped with one or more such reinforcing folds 4330 in a manner similar to the embodiments of the group D flat tubes illustrated in FIG. 34. For example, in these embodiments using reinforcing folds 4330, the narrow sides 4318, 4320 include a relatively greater thickness than the thickness of the wave section 4311 and wide sides 4322, 4324. Accordingly, sufficient reinforcement for fragments with a relatively higher load can be provided. flat tubes 4310, such as the narrow sides 4318, and leave fragments with a relatively lower load 4320, such as the wide sides 4322, 4324 and / or the wavy section 4311 with relatively thinner nkami.

Although the reinforcing folds 4330 can be used at any of the narrow side positions described above for any of the embodiments also described above with reference to FIGS. 52-54, it should be noted that any of the narrow side sides 4118, 4120, 4218, 4220, 4318, 4320 may be free of these reinforcing folds in other embodiments. Also, the number of such reinforcing folds 4130, 4230, 4330 in one of the narrow lateral sides 4138, 4238, 4318 may differ from the number in the other narrow lateral side 4120, 4220, 4320, and / or the position of the reinforcing folds 4130, 4230, 4330 in one of narrow lateral sides (for example, only the connecting section 4117, 4119, 4217, 4219, 4317, 4319 or only in the longitudinal edge 4178, 4180, 4278, 4280, 4378, 4380, overlapping the connecting section 4117, 4119, 4217, 4219, 4317, 4319) may differ from the reinforcing folds 4130, 4230, 4330 in the other narrow side (for example, only the longitudinal edge of 4178, 4180, 4278, 4280, 4378, 4380 or only in the joint body section 4117, 4119, 4217, 4219, 4317, 4319, overlapping by the longitudinal edge 4178, 4180, 4278, 4280, 4378, 4380, respectively).

In any of the embodiments just described with reference to the solid flat tubes 4110, 4210, 4310 shown in FIGS. 52-54, overlapping longitudinal edges 4178, 4180, 4278, 4280, 4378, 4380 sheets of material 4109, 4209, 4309 may lie in the wall gradation 4158, 4160, 4258, 4260, 4358, 4360, such as the wall gradation 4158, 4160, 4258, 4260, 4358, 4360, located adjacent to or on the narrow lateral side 4118, 4218, in which the longitudinal edge 4178 is located , 4180, 4278, 4280, 4378, 4380. Thus, when the longitudinal edges 4178, 4180, 4278, 4280, 4378, 4380 move to the closed positions to form a solid flat tube 4110, 4210, 4310 (shown by dashed arrows in each of FIGS. 52-54), longitudinal edges 4178, 4180, 4278, 4280, 4378, 4380 can be taken in gradations 4158, 4160, 4258, 4260, 4358, 4360 walls . In some embodiments, wall gradations 4158, 4160, 4258, 4260, 4358, 4360 are provided in each narrow side 4122, 4124, 4222, 4224, 4322, 4324 of the flat tube 4110, 4210, 4310.

As for the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 51, the wave walls and wave troughs of the wave sections 4111, 4211, 4311 (or other features of a central portion 4105, 4205, 4305 having various shapes forming flow channels 4116, 4216, 4316) shown in Fig.52-54, can be soldered, welded or secured in any other appropriate way on either or both of the wide sides 4122, 4124, 4222, 4224, 4322, 4324 of the entire flat tube 4110, 4210, 4310.

As mentioned above, each of the solid flat tubes 4110, 4210, 4310 illustrated in FIGS. 52-54 has a wave-shaped section 4111, 4211, 4311 to form flow channels 4116, 4216, 4316. The portion 4105, 4205, 4305 forming this wave-shaped section 4111, 4211, 4311 may take any of the forms described above with reference to the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 50. In the illustrated embodiments of FIGS. 52 and 54, for example, the wave-shaped section 4111, 4311 forms a series of flow channels 4116, 4316, generally with a triangular design and having, in general, the same shape and size of the cross section (although something or both can vary across the width of a single flat tube 4110, 4310). FIG. 53 illustrates a wave-like section 4211 provided with more than one wave structure, such that the wave-shaped section 4211 forms channels for the stream 4216 of at least two different cross-sectional sizes. The undulating section 4211 shown in FIG. 53 includes one group of seven flow channels 4216, each of which has a relatively large cross-sectional area, and another group of six channels 4216, each of which has a relatively smaller cross-sectional area. In other embodiments, any other combination of shapes and sizes of flow channels arranged in sections of a single flat tube 4210 may be used. Specific heat transfer requirements can best be addressed by such illustrations of a heat exchanger tube 4210. Although the cross-sectional shape of these flow channels 4216 of varying size is generally rectangular in FIG. 53, it is contemplated that the wave-like section 4216 can form flow channels 4216 with other shapes, at least in part based on the required flat tube specifications 4210. As indicated above, the structure of the wave section W is not limited to the structure illustrated in this document.

Any of the flat tubes described herein can be formed in a variety of different ways. Nevertheless, by using one or more manufacturing improvements discovered by the inventors and described in more detail below, such tubes can be manufactured with significant savings, increased efficiency, faster and / or more reliable and reproducible method compared to many traditional manufacturing methods flat tubes.

One such discovered improvement relates to a method by which flat tubes according to the present invention can be separated from an infinite length of discharge of flat tubes (i.e., from a continuous supply of materials fed through production equipment), thereby leading to separate flat tubes having the desired length . As used herein and in the appended claims, the term “endless tube” is used to refer to the production of flat tubes according to any of the embodiments described herein, manufactured by forming one or more sheets of material passing through respective feeds (e.g. , coils) before separation into separate tubes of the required length, and therefore includes the earlier definition of “infinite”, explained above. Specialists in the art should take into account that there are significant difficulties in trimming or otherwise separating elements constructed at least in part from relatively thin-walled products without creating deformations, burrs, aprons or other undesirable features in the final products. Although similar problems exist in products constructed from materials with thicker walls (which can be solved equally with the several enhancements described in this document), in many cases, such problems more often lead to unacceptable thin-walled end products. With reference to embodiments of thin-walled flat tubes described herein, many of these embodiments have a tube wall thickness of not more than about 0.15 mm (0.00591 inches). The walls of the tube may have a thickness of at least about 0.03 mm (0.0011811 inches) in some embodiments. In addition, in those embodiments of the tube assemblies having an insert as described herein, many of these embodiments have an insert material thickness of not more than about 0.10 mm (0.003937 inches). The thickness of the insert material may be at least about 0.03 mm (0.00118 inches) in some embodiments.

It has been found that individual (i.e., discrete) flat tubes can be made in the best way from the endless release of tubes from one or more sheets of material fed through production equipment by perforating at least one of the sheets. That is, at least one portion of the tube may be perforated to facilitate improved separation of the tubes from the endless outlet of the tubes. Such perforations may be performed before forming operations are performed in the overlying sheet material after the sheet material is formed into a continuous length of flat tube discharge, or at any other stage or stages therebetween. In addition, the positions of the perforations can vary between different sheets of material (or different positions of the same sheet of material) used to create different fragments of the continuous release of flat tubes.

An advantage of forming perforations in strips of sheet material to create flat tubes is that in some embodiments, flat tubes can be created substantially without the formation of deformations, burrs, aprons and / or other undesirable features in the final products. The process of using perforations in the tube separation process can be applied to any of the tube embodiments disclosed herein.

As an example of the perforation and separation process used to make solid flat tubes, reference is thus made to the process of separating solid flat tubes, such as the tubes illustrated in FIGS. 19-21, 52, and 53, the whole flat tube 1210 , 1310, 1410, 4110, 4210 may be formed from one endless sheet of material. In FIGS. 52 and 53, the solid flat tubes 4110, 4210 are shown in the state of the production process immediately before completion and should still be closed in the direction of the arrows shown by dashed lines, until they have already been made in the perforations. Consequently, perforations can be formed before the sheet of material bends, as shown in FIGS. 52 and 53. A similar concept can be applied to the tubes 1210, 1310, 1410 shown in FIGS. 19-21 and in the other solid flat tubes described in this document.

As an example of this process used to form two-part flat tubes, reference is made to the separation process of two-part flat tubes, such as those illustrated in FIG. 28. As described in more detail above, the two-piece flat tube 1910 shown in FIG. 28 has first and second parts 1912, 1914 forming the corresponding wide sides 1922, 1924 of the flat tube 1910, and an insert 1934 placed between them. As also described above, the first and second parts 1912, 1914 can be identical or substantially identical, but inverted relative to each other, when one of the longitudinal edges of one tube part 1914 has a large arcuate part 1968, at least partially covering a smaller arcuate part 1962 in the longitudinal edge of another part of the 1912 tube. The folds 1970 at one or both of the longitudinal edges 1938, 1940 of the insert 1934 can be used to reinforce the narrow sides of the 1918, 1920 two-piece flat tube 1910. Although the punching and separation process described herein can be applied to two-piece flat tubes having any of the tube fragments and tube sizes described above with reference to the embodiment of FIG. 19, insert 1934 described with reference to FIGS. 55-58 has a thickness of about 0.03- 0.09 mm (0.0011811-0.0035433 inches), mat sheets The series forming the first and second parts 1912, 1914 of the tube have a thickness of approximately 0.03-0.15 mm (0.0011811-0.0059055 inches), and the finished two-piece flat tube 1910 has a small diameter d of approximately 1- 10 mm (0.03937-0.3937 inches) by way of example only. 28, a two-part flat tube 1910 is illustrated briefly before completion, with perforations already formed in the first and second parts 1912, 1914 and insert 1934 and aligned so that the perforations in the first and second parts 1912, 1914 and insert 1934 were essentially combined.

FIGS. 55-58 illustrate an example production line 1900 similar to the production line 3701 shown in FIG. 49. In this particular case, the production line is designed to form assemblies consisting of three parts of flat tubes (i.e., having a two-part flat tube with the first and second parts 1912, 1914, as well as having an insert 1934), while the production line 3701 is designed to form assemblies consisting of two parts of flat tubes (i.e., having a single flat tube forming the first and second parts 1212, 1214, 1312, 1314, 1412, 1414, 4112, 4114, 4212, 4214, and having inserts 1234, 1334, 1434, 4134, 4234). Although production lines 3701, 1900 are described herein with reference to the manufacture of specific embodiments of flat tubes also described in this patent application, this description is provided by way of example only. Accordingly, it should be understood that the processes described with reference to Fig. 49 and Figs. 55-58 can be applied to the manufacture of all the tubes described in this application.

As shown in FIG. 55, production line 1900 includes three coils of sheet material R1, R2, R3, such as sheets of aluminum, aluminum alloy, or any other suitable material to form three-piece flat tube assemblies. In this particular example, the sheet material from the first coil R1 is used to form the first part 1912 or 1914, the sheet material from the third coil R3 is used to form the second part 1914 or 1912, and the sheet material from the second coil R2 is used to to form an insert 1934 for a two-piece flat tube 1910. Depending, at least in part, on the paths of the sheets of material, other possible positions of the coils relative to the production line, and also the resulting orientation and flat tube 1910 as it advances through the manufacturing process, each coil R1, R2, R3 may have sheet material used to form any part of the flat tube 1910 in other embodiments.

55 illustrates roller sets 1921, 1923, 1925 for processing sheet material provided from coils R1, R2, and R3, respectively. Each set of rollers 1921, 1923, 1925 can be arranged to form a corresponding contour of the moving sheet material, as shown schematically in FIG. 55, although any other arrangement of the roller is possible. Any one or more rollers in each set 1921, 1923, 1925 may be driven by a suitable motor or prime mover to extract material provided by coils R1, R2, and R3. In addition, any one or more of the rollers in each set 1921, 1923, 1925 can be tension rollers, allowing free movement of the corresponding sheet of material on them. Moreover, any of the rollers in each set 1921, 1923, 1925 can perform both functions, for example, by means of selective casting by means of a clutch or otherwise selectively by any other conventional method. It should also be taken into account that the coils of material R1, R2, R3 can themselves be driven by suitable motors or prime movers. By way of example, it is contemplated that sheets of material supplied from coils R1, R2, and R3 can be moved in some embodiments with linear speeds of the order of 100-200 m / min (328.08-656.16 ft / min). Faster or slower speeds are possible in other embodiments.

By controlling the motor (s) driving each coil of material R1, R2, R3 and / or driving any of the rollers in the roller set 1921, 1923, 1925, it is possible to control the maximum speed of each sheet of material, for example, by selectively providing braking force to any sheets material. In some embodiments, this allows you to control the speed of each sheet of material independently of the others, even at the stopping point of one or two of the sheets when moving the others. Also, the roller sets 1921, 1923, 1925 can serve to permit a certain buffering of the sheet material supplied to the positions below.

The production line 1900 illustrated in FIG. 55 includes a first perforating station 1927 for forming perforations 1929 in a sheet of material received from a second coil R2 (for forming an insert 1934 in a subsequent flat tube 1910). This punch station 1927 is located at the beginning of the production line 1900 in FIG. 55, but instead may be lower than this position in other embodiments. Next, a sheet of material forming the insert 1934 is formed by means of a set of rollers, schematically illustrated in FIG. 55 as forming section 1931. Sheets of material from the first and third coils R1, R3 (for forming the first and third parts 1912, 1914 in a subsequent flat tube 1910) transported by the distance defined by the forming section 1931. After that, the sheet of material from the first coil R1 reaches the second punching station 1933, and the sheet of material from the third coil R3 reaches the third punching station 1935 near next to the punching station 1933. In other embodiments, the three punching stations 1927, 1933, 1935 may be in different positions relative to each other and / or other sections of the production line 1900. In addition, in other embodiments, one or more punching stations 1927, 1933, 1935 can be used to perforate more than one sheet of material.

As shown in FIG. 55, the second and third perforating stations 1933, 1935 form perforations 1929 in the first and third sheets of material for the first and second parts 1912, 1914 of the flat tube 1910, respectively, while the second sheet for insert 1934 is transferred between the first and third sheets in the second and third punching stations 1933, 1935. Examples of perforations created in the second and third punching stations are shown in Fig. 57 and can be similar to the perforations created in the first punching station 1927 described above. In the embodiment of FIG. 57, the perforations 1929 are relatively accurate holes shared by bridges 1937 placed at predetermined distances between the perforations 1929. However, in other embodiments, the perforations may be regions of lesser material thickness and need not be formed by holes through material. In any case, the description in this document regarding the shape, size and other features of perforations applies equally.

The partitions 1937 are broken as part of the production process of the flat tube 1910. In some embodiments, the length of the perforations 1929 extending in the transverse direction of the perforated sheets of material (from the first, second or third coils R1, R2 and R3) is at least 1 cm ( 0.3937 inches). In addition, in some embodiments, the length of each partition 1937 is less than 1 mm (0.03937 inches).

The shape (e.g., length) and arrangement of the perforations 1929 illustrated in FIG. 57 is presented as an example only. Longer or shorter perforations 1929 and longer or shorter partitions 1937 may be used as desired in any of the sheets of material used to form the flat tube 1910. For example, each of the perforations 1929 may instead be substantially circular or may take any desired shapes, potentially resulting in fewer or more perforations in the sheet of material. Also, for example, the length or other features of the shape of the perforations 1929 may vary across the width of the perforated material, for example, by providing perforations and / or partitions near the longitudinal edges of the sheet that are longer than the edges in the center of the sheet, or vice versa. The types and features of perforations 1929 depend, at least in part, on the material properties of the perforated material.

Based on the size of the perforations and the relatively thin sheet materials that can be used as described above, in some embodiments of the perforations 1929 in the partitions 1937 are generally invisible to the naked eye. For many manufacturing operations, benefits can be achieved by placing the 1937 partition next to each longitudinal edge of the perforated sheet of material, reducing the possibility for fragments of material to accumulate in such places during further sheet processing.

In those embodiments of the flat tubes described herein in which one or more sheets of material (e.g., sheet metal strips) are used to create a flat tube, the sheets of material can be perforated to separate in perforations. In those embodiments in which two or more sheets of material are used to create a flat tube, two or more sheets can be perforated, after which the perforations in the various sheets can be aligned (for example, in a common plane essentially perpendicular to the sheets, the direction of travel of the sheets and / or the flat tube created by the sheets), and the individual tubes can be separated in perforations from the continuous length of the material above. The just described combination of perforations can be achieved in some embodiments by controlling the speed of one or more drives feeding one or more sheets of material during the manufacturing process. More specifically, if the perforations of any two or more sheets of material are not already aligned, one or more sheets of material can move at different speeds until the perforations are aligned so that individual tubes can be separated in a position below. In this regard, it should be noted that this alignment process can be performed for any number of perforated sheets of material used to create flat tubes.

For example, and with continued reference to the embodiment of FIGS. 55-58, perforations 1929 in three sheets of material from coils R1, R2, and R3 are aligned in the alignment section 1939 of the production line 1900 by one or more drives controlled to control sheet speeds material relative to each other. In light of the fact that speed adjustments of one or more sheets may be necessary in order to align the perforations 1929, the alignment section 1939 of FIG. 55 is typically placed on the production line 1900 prior to the combine section 1941. The combining section 1941 is an area of the production line where fragments of the flat tube 1910 (for example, the first and second parts 1912, 1914 and insert 1934 in the illustrated embodiment) are connected to each other to form a flat tube 1910. The merging section 1941 may include rollers or other sheet forming elements for combining fragments of the flat tube 1910 to form an endless tube 1910. In those embodiments in which not one or only some of the longitudinal edges of the first and second second portions 1912, 1914 of the tube are not already formed in one or more placed above positions, the section 1941 of association may also include rollers and / or other elements forming the sheet to perform other operations forming the longitudinal edges of the first and second portions 1912, 1914.

The continuous length of material immediately above this separation point may be the continuous length of the release of finished flat tubes. Alternatively, the continuous length of the material immediately above the separation point may be a sheet (s) of material used to shape the release of flat tubes at any stage of such formation. For example, in some embodiments, after the perforations in the sheets of material are aligned, the partially formed sheets of material can be combined into a continuous length of discharge of finished flat tubes so that the finished tubes are accessible after separation. As a result, separate tubes can be created that do not have marks on the ends of the flat tubes.

In some designs of a production line, perforations are generally formed by one or more perforating rollers. For example, a production line may include at least a pair of perforating rollers. One of the rollers of the pair can pass with one or more endless sheets of material that must be used to form at least part of a flat tube, and the other roller can be equipped with a tool (for example, one or more perforating blades or dies) for the formation of perforations in the sheet (s) of the material. 56 and 57 schematically illustrate a perforation process according to an embodiment of the present invention. For ease of description, the following explanation is made with reference to the first punching station 1927 described above. However, the same description applies equally to other punching stations 1933, 1935 in the illustrated embodiment of FIGS. 55-58, although one or more punching stations may differ in other embodiments (for example, to have other blades, use only one video instead of two videos, etc.). As described previously, the number and type of perforations and the locations of the perforating stations may vary. Changes in these features may be at least partially based on the required technical characteristics of the flat tube 1910 created in the production line 1900.

Referring to the embodiment of FIGS. 56 and 57, the perforating station 1927 includes a pair of perforating rollers having a first perforating roller 1943 and a second perforating roller 1945. In some embodiments, these perforating rollers 1943, 1945 can be arranged in any desired orientation. depending, at least in part, on the orientation of the sheet perforated by the perforating rollers 1943, 1945 and adjacent sections of the production line 1900. The first roller 1943 runs parallel and guides one or more e passing sheets of material (from coils R1, R2 and R3), while the lower roller 1945 has a protruding perforating stamp 1947.

To prevent the accumulation of sheets as perforations are created, some embodiments of the present invention use perforating rollers with one or more perforating blades or dies having a ready position. At the ready position, at least one of the perforating rollers rotates or translates into a position where the sheet (s) of material passes freely through the perforating rollers.

For example, the second roller 1945, illustrated in FIG. 56, has a drive mechanism (not shown) so that the second roller 1945 can hold the perforating stamp 1947 in a ready position in which the perforating stamp 1947 does not engage the passing sheets of material from coils R1, R2 and R3. At the ready position of the second roller 1945, the punch 1947 can be rotated at a distance from the position shown in FIG. 56 to avoid this engagement, for example, by rotating approximately 90 degrees to a substantially horizontal position on the second roller 1945. In other embodiments, one or both rollers 1943, 1945 can be mounted on respective axes that move relative to the passing sheet, thereby allowing any or both rollers 1943, 1945 to be carried relative to the passing sheet and forming readiness and perforation or action positions.

In order to perforate a sheet of material supplied from the second coil R2 (again with reference to the illustrated embodiment of FIGS. 55-58 as an example), the second roller 1945 can be activated at the punch or action position, for example, at the upper and essentially vertical position shown on Fig and 57. This activation can be performed by a motor, starter or other drive connected to the second roller to rotate the second roller from the standby position to the position of perforation or action at a speed of rotation Nia. In the perforating position of the first and second rollers 1943, 1945, the perforating stamp 1947 engages a sheet of material supplied from the second coil R2 and forms perforations 1929 therein. In some embodiments, the rotational speed (and therefore the peripheral speed) of the second roller 1945 is higher than the transport speed of the sheet of material to ensure that the sheet of material does not accumulate during punching operations. In other embodiments, the rotational speed (and therefore the peripheral speed) of both rollers 1943, 1945 is higher than the transport speed of the sheet of material for this purpose. It should be noted that the terms "position of action" or "perforating position" when used in this document and the attached form of the invention do not indicate or imply themselves that this roller (s) is stationary, but instead indicate the position of the roller (s) at the time when perforations are made.

In some embodiments, the rotational speed of one or both of the rollers 1943, 1945 of the perforating station 1927 is higher than the speed of the passing sheet of material. After creating the perforations in the perforating position, one or both of the perforating rollers 1943, 1945 can be moved back to the ready position to be reactivated in the next perforation process. In some embodiments, the movement of one or both of the perforating rollers 1943, 1945 back to the standby position is performed by rotating the perforating roller (s) 1943, 1945 in the same direction as used to move the roller (s) 1943, 1945 to the perforating position instead of switching the rotation directions of the roller (s) 1943, 1945. Accordingly, a pair of perforating rollers 1943, 1945, as described above, can help prevent the accumulation of passing sheet material.

It is believed that the finished tubes can be separated at the end of the manufacturing process, at least in part due to the perforations described above. In some embodiments, the tubes are perforated at or near the end of the production line. Separation of individual tubes may be accomplished in some embodiments by using a pair of muller rollers or a single muller roller. In the embodiment according to, for example, FIG. 58, the pinch roller 1949 and the pin 1951 are used to separate the endless release of tubes extending between the pinch roller 1949 and pin 1951 to separate finished flat tubes 1910. The pinch roller 1949 is equipped with a protruding impact knife 1951 or other tool, used to break the partitions 1937 between the perforations 1929 described above.

The nibble roller 1949 and / or the rod 1951 can be controlled so as to include a standby position in which the passing tube outlet does not slow down or perform other actions above it, and a fault position in which the nibble roller 1949 and / or the rod 1951 moves so that in order to engage the passing outlet of the tubes and to separate the tube in the perforations 1929. For example, in the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 58, the grinding roller 1949 is rotated in and out of a fault position in which the impact knife 1951 of the grinding roller 1949 engages the release of flat cutting and passes by the grinding bar 1951, thereby breaking (and in some embodiments also cutting) the flat tube outlet extending between the grinding roller 1949 and the grinding bar 1951 in the perforation line 1929. In other embodiments, the grinding roller 1949 and / or the grinding bar 1951 are moved relative to the outlet of the flat tubes to form a fault position and the readiness of the fault apparatus.

Although the flat tube outlet can be broken by using the grinding wheel 1949 and the grinding bar 1951, as described above, in other embodiments, the partitions 1937 formed by the flat tube outlet perforations 1929 are not broken or cut by means of a blade or other similar tool, but instead split by forming a force to release the flat tubes in the general longitudinal direction of the endless tube, thereby forming separate flat tubes 1910. Such a force can be l is formed, for example, by passing an endless release of tubes past a roller that engages the release of tubes and passes at a higher speed than the release of tubes. Through experiments it was found that this separation method can lead to the desired ends of the tubes, as described above.

In some embodiments, one or more of the rollers 1949 in a section of a production line used to break the outlet of the tubes can be used to help promote the release of the tubes along the production line. It is also suitable for any of the perforating stations 1927, 1933, 1935 described herein. It should be noted that in any of the embodiments described herein, a stamp, blade, or other tool on a roller of any perforating station 1927, 1933, 1935 and / or a milling roller 1949 may be retractable so that the roller can be driven to advance the release of tubes without acting on them. In such cases, the retracted position of the tool can also form the ready position described in this document.

Additional aspects of the manufacture of flat tubes described herein also allow the creation of such tubes with significant savings, increased efficiency, greater speed and / or a more reliable and reproducible method in comparison with any other traditional methods of manufacturing flat tubes. As will now be described, some of these additional aspects relate to the method by which fragments of flat tubes are formed and / or the method by which these fragments are brought together to create flat tubes. By way of example only, these processes should be described and illustrated with reference to the creation of a two-part tube, and more specifically, to a two-part tube 1910, illustrated in FIG. 28 and described above, created using a production line 1900, illustrated on Fig and also described above. The following description and the annexed drawings apply equally to the construction of any of the other two two-piece tubes (with or without inserts) described herein. Also, with the exception of an inconsistent or incompatible description, the following explanation and the accompanying drawings apply equally to the creation of any of the integral tubes (with or without inserts) also described in this document.

It has been found that significant advantages can be obtained by certain methods of assembling the first and second parts 1912, 1914 and inserting 1934 of the tube assembly 1910. For example, in some embodiments, the inner insert 1934 is crimped in the longitudinal direction of the production line 1900 and inserted between the two flat tube parts 1912, 1914 of the subsequent flat tube 1910. The longitudinal edges of the two flat tube parts 1912, 1914 can be rolled up or otherwise formed with arched edges in the longitudinal direction, after which the arched edges can be brought together to engage each other to form a flat tube 1910, shown in Fig.28. This process is schematically illustrated in FIGS. 55, 59 and 60 and is described in further detail below.

As previously described, FIG. 55 shows three coils of sheet material R1, R2 and R3 supplying sheet material to be used to create the flat tube 1910. As also described above, sheets of material from coils R1, R2 and R3 are used to to produce the first tube portion 1912, the insert 1934 (using the widest sheet of material in some embodiments), and the second tube portion 1914. The sheets of material used to form these segments extend generally in parallel directions with respect to each other through the illustrated production line 1900.

Although other components of the production line are possible, the manufacture of flat tubes 1910 in the production line 1900 shown in FIG. 55 generally begins with the formation of an insert 1934 in the first sections of the production line 1900. In some embodiments, sheets of material used to form the first and second parts 1912, 1914 of the tube can be guided without deformation. In such embodiments, when the process of forming the insert 1934 is completed, the process of forming the first and second parts 1912, 1914 of the tube begins. Alternatively, one or more forming operations may be performed on either or both sheets of material while the insert 1934 is formed at one or more of the same places in the production line 1900. In many cases, the manufacturing process of the first and second tube parts 1912, 1914 can be significantly shorter than for the manufacture of insert 1934, due to the fact that the relative amount of deformation of the material used to form the first and second tube parts 1912, 1914 can be relatively small (see, for example, full-time flat tube assembly shown in FIG. 28).

The two-piece flat tube 1910 shown in FIG. 28 has identical or practically identical first and second parts 1912, 1914. The production line 1900 shown in FIG. 55 is adapted to create these parts 1912, 1914. As a result their identical and substantially identical forms, one part 1912 is inverted relative to the other before the parts 1912, 1914 are joined together. As described above, the production line 1900 shown in FIG. 55 has forming rollers or other suitable forming devices for forming the arched edges of the parts 1912, 1914 described above.

In some cases, sets of forming rollers or other suitable forming devices used to create one type of longitudinal edge in both parts of the tube 1912, 1914 are on one side of the production line 1900 (for example, sets used to create a larger arcuate longitudinal edge both parts 1912, 1914, placed next to each other in the plane of the formed sheets of material). In these and other embodiments, the forming rollers or other suitable forming devices can be arranged so that the two parts 1912, 1914 have the same orientation after the formation of some of all the longitudinal edges. In these embodiments, the production line 1900 can be equipped with proper rollers to rotate one of the parts 1912, 1914 around a longitudinal axis so that the two parts 1912, 1914 can be connected in the joining section 1941 of the production line 1900. In other embodiments, the forming rollers or other suitable forming devices can be placed in the production line 1900 so that the two parts 1912, 1914 already have orientations that are inverted with respect to each other (i.e. with the longitudinal sides facing us) after the formation of some or all of the arched edges. In such embodiments, the two parts 1912, 1914 may be parallel to each other and may be combined in section 1941 combining the production line 1900.

As described in more detail above with reference to FIG. 28, one longitudinal edge of the first tube part 1912 contains the corresponding longitudinal edge of the second tube part 1914, while the opposite longitudinal edge of the first tube part contains the corresponding opposite longitudinal edge of the second tube part 1914 to connect the parts 1912. 1914 tube. In these and other embodiments described herein, which may be formed in a production line 1900, the first and second wall portions 1912, 1914 may be identical or substantially identical. In other embodiments described herein, which may also be formed in the production line 1900, the first and second wall parts 1912, 1914 are not identical, for example, when each of the first and second tube parts 1912, 1914 includes either two smaller arcuate parts or two large arcuate parts.

As shown in FIGS. 55-60, the inner insert 1934 of the assembly assembly together with the assembly of the flat tube illustrated in FIG. 28 can be made on a third set of rollers for introducing a two-part tube between the first and second parts 1912, 1914 tubes 1910. This process is schematically illustrated in FIG. 59 and can be performed after the first and second tube parts 1912, 1914 are formed or substantially completely formed (as in the embodiment of FIG. 59). In this embodiment, the first and second parts 1912, 1914 of the tube are not in the same plane, but in two planes at a distance from each other, while a set of forming rollers or other suitable forming devices creating the insert 1934 are placed so that the sheet of material forming the insert 1934, is located between the sheets of material forming the first and second parts 1912, 1914 of the tube. This allows the inner insert 1934 to be “tucked” into and between the two parts 1912, 1914 of the tube. In other words, the production line diagram 1900 illustrated in FIG. 55 is such that the sheet of material used to form the insert 1934 is located between the sheets of material used to form the first and second tube parts 1912, 1914.

As shown in FIG. 59, the insert of the inner insert 1934, as just described, can be made between the first and second tube parts 1912, 1914 extending substantially parallel to each other along the longitudinal section of the first and second tube parts 1912, 1914 in the production line 1900. However, in other embodiments, the planes on which the first and second wide sides 1922, 1924 of the first and second tube parts 1912, 1914 lie do not have to be parallel to each other in any place other than the place immediately above parts of 1941 Combining the 1900 production line.

In the illustrated embodiment (see FIG. 59 (a)) and in other embodiments, sheets of material used to form insert 1934 are substantially parallel to any or both sheets of material used to form first and the second part 1912, 1914 of the tube before the insertion process of the insert 1934 into the first and second parts 1912, 1914 of the tube. In other embodiments, other orientations of these three sheets of the insertion process are possible. However, in some embodiments, the process of introducing the inner insert 1934 into the first and second tube parts 1912, 1914 begins by orienting the inner insert 1934 between the first and second tube parts 1912, 1914 with an inclination relative to at least one of the planes of the first and second wide sides 1922, 1924. For example, in the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 59, the inner insert 1934 is inserted into and between the first and second parts 1912, 1914 of the tube with an inclination relative to both planes of the first and second width FIR sides 1922 1924.

As used herein and in the appended claims, the term “tilted” in its various forms refers to the position of the insert 1934 with respect to the wide sides of the tube 1922, 1924 (which may be parallel to each other in some embodiments).

In this regard, it should be noted that one or both of the wide lateral sides 1922, 1924 of the first and second tube parts 1912, 1914 may be in respective planes that are not horizontal, whereby the insert 1934 should be relatively inclined to such non-horizontal orientations.

This inclined insert can be made in a range of places above the joining section 1941 of the production line 1900, and in some embodiments, is carried out approximately at the initial stages of the production line 1900. In some embodiments, the angle of the insert 1934 (relative to the plane in which the wide side 1922, 1924, at least one of the tube parts 1912, 1914) can be at least about 25 degrees at least in one position of the insert 1934 between the sheets to create the first and second parts 1912, 1914 tubes, for example, at the beginning of the insertion process. In other embodiments, this angle is at least about 30 degrees to provide good performance results. Also in some embodiments, the angle of the insert 1934, as described above, does not exceed approximately 45 degrees in at least one position of the insert 1934 between the sheets used to create the first and second tube parts 1912, 1914, for example, at the beginning introduction process. In other embodiments, this angle is no more than about 40 degrees to provide good performance results.

Thereafter, the inner insert 1934 is brought into an orientation in which the inner insert 1934 is parallel or substantially parallel to the wide sides 1922, 1924 of the first and second tube parts 1912, 1914. Figures 59 (b) - (e) illustrate an example of changing or decreasing the inclined position of the insert 1934, as well as the gradual convergence of the first and second parts 1912, 1914 of the tube to hold the insert 1934 together.

In those embodiments (as in FIG. 28) in which either or both of the longitudinal edges 1938, 1940 of the inner insert 1934 are located on the wide lateral side (s) 1918, 1920 of the flat tube 1910, the shape of the longitudinal edges 1938, 1940 may provide sliding fit to the inner surface of the first and second parts 1912, 1914 of the tube in the narrow sides 1918, 1920. For example, in those embodiments in which one or both of the longitudinal edges 1938, 1940 of the insert 1934 are arched or have a sequence of folds 1970, signs may take in When the arc-shaped longitudinal edges of the first and second portions 1912, 1914 of the tube. In these and other embodiments of the insert 1934, one longitudinal edge 1938 of the insert 1934 can be placed on the longitudinal arcuate edge of the first wall portion 1912 at or after the insert 1934 can be tilted relative to the wide sides of the first and second parts 1912, 1924 of 1912, 1914 tube.

As mentioned above, the inclination of the insert 1934 can be reduced to zero (i.e., the insert 1934 can be moved to a position parallel or substantially parallel to the wide sides of the first and second tube parts 1912, 1914). Thus, the opposite longitudinal edge 1940 of the insert 1934 may imply a qualitatively correct position in the longitudinal arcuate edge of the second tube portion 1914. The first and second tube parts 1912, 1914 can be brought together during any part of this process, after which the longitudinal edges of the first and second tube parts 1912, 1914 that surround the inner insert 1914 are closed, as schematically illustrated in FIG. 59 (e) . It should be noted that by closing the flat tube 1910, as described herein, the insert 1934 is deformed in some embodiments. The inserts 1934 in the closed flat tube 1910 can remain compressed from any of the wide and narrow sides of the flat tube 1910 1922, 1924, 1918, 1920, in particular in those embodiments (such as those in FIGS. 55-60) insert 1934 was deformed to insert insert 1934 in a flat tube.

In the illustrated embodiment, the closure of the first and second flat tube parts 1912, 1914 is achieved by folding the adjacent longitudinal edges of the first and second tube parts 1912, 1914 in the manner described and shown in more detail above with reference to the embodiments of FIGS. 25, 26 and 28 (t .e. by bending large arcuate parts of the longitudinal edges above the smaller arcuate parts of the adjacent longitudinal edges of the tube parts 1912, 1914). Accordingly, the production line 1900 illustrated in FIG. 55 can be used to create flat tubes 1900 in which one or both longitudinal edges of the insert 1934 are located at the respective curved edges of the tube parts 1912, 1914 in the narrow sides 1918, 1920 flat tube 1910.

After closing the flat tube 1910 in the production line 1900, the finished flat tubes 1910 can be attached to one or more sets of fins or other elements (not shown), and can also be attached to one or more heads of the heat exchanger (not shown). In many embodiments, the heat exchanger heads are brazed in a brazing furnace, like fins or other elements of the heat exchanger to flat tubes 1910, and flat tubes 1910 to inserts 1934.

Insert 1934 may have any of the forms and features described herein with respect to flat tube inserts. In many of these embodiments, the insert 1934 is formed from a flat source material sheet. Therefore, since the insert 1934 is formed with corrugations or other features in order to at least partially form the channels 1916 for flow through the tube 1910, the width of the insert 1934 may be reduced. This process is shown schematically in FIG. 60, which illustrates a sheet of material in which corrugations 1952 are sequentially created by forming rollers 1955 as the sheet advances in the horizontal direction (indicated by a straight arrow in FIG. 60) through production line 1900. Although three of these forming rollers 1955 are shown in FIG. 60, production line 1900 can have any number of forming rollers 1955 to create any number of desired corrugations 1952 or other insertion features, as described in relation to various s of embodiments of inserts in this document. The type and position of the corrugations or other signs of the walls can at least partially determine how many forming rollers 1955 are required in the production line 1900. For example, in some embodiments, where the insert 1934 includes continuous corrugations 1952, such as corrugations illustrated 25-34, the corresponding number of sets of forming rollers (for example, each set of rollers defined by a pair of rollers, one on each side of the sheet of material) may be necessary in order to sequentially form Phra 1952 as described herein. Accordingly, in some embodiments, a production line 1900 may extend over a length of approximately 20 mm (65.62 feet) or more.

Production line 1900 may also include more than one type of rollers 1955 to form insert 1934. For example, various rollers 1955 can be used to form different types of corrugations 1952 in width of insert 1934. As another example, one or more rollers 1955 can be cutting rollers used to create slits in the sheet of material for subsequent formation of corrugations in the sheet of material, for example, by bending parts of the sheet near the slots, as described above with reference to Coy any of the embodiments according to fig.35-45. Any number of such rollers 1955 can be used in conjunction with any number of other types of rollers (for example, to bend parts of a sheet of material) to create any type of insert described herein.

In some embodiments, such as those shown in FIG. 60, the manufacturing process of the insert 1934 includes first forming one of the central corrugations 1952 in the sheet of material and then forming additional corrugations 1952 closer to the longitudinal edges of the insert 1934. More specifically and with reference to the embodiment 60, for example, the first set of rollers 1955 (i.e., the leftmost set of rollers in Fig. 60) includes two grooves 1957 to form corresponding corrugations 1952 in a passing sheet of material. The next set of rollers 1955 includes four grooves 1957 forming the corresponding corrugations 1952 in a sheet of passing material. This process can continue to create as many corrugations as required in the sheet of material. At any point before, during and after such formation of the corrugations, one or both of the longitudinal edges 1938, 1940 of the insert 1934 can be formed to take any shape, including any of the shapes described and / or illustrated herein. For example, both longitudinal edges 1938, 1940 of the insert 1934 formed in the embodiment of FIGS. 55-60 are equipped with arcuate shapes after all corrugations 1952 have been formed, as best shown in FIG. 28.

In some embodiments, the width of the sheet used to form the insert 1934 is reduced to a greater extent than the width of the sheets used to form the first and second tube parts 1912, 1914. This can be, for example, in the case when the sheets used to form the first and second tube parts 1912, 1914 are deformed only (or mainly) at their opposite longitudinal edges, for example, in the case of an embodiment consisting of two parts of the flat tube illustrated in FIG. An advantage of this flat tube design is that the smooth wide sides 1922, 1924 of the flat tube 1910 can provide relatively better brazing surfaces between the wide sides of the 1922, 1924 flat tube 1910 and the insert 1934 and / or between the wide sides 1922 , 1924 of the flat tube 10 and ribs or other elements (not shown) attached to the flat tube 1910.

In those embodiments in which the insert 1934 is tucked between the two tube parts 1912, 1914 (and possibly also moves from an inclined position to a parallel or substantially parallel position, as described above), forming rollers or other suitable forming devices for creating the insert 1934 can be placed above the position where the two tube parts 1912, 1914 are brought together to close the flat tube 1910. Therefore, some or all of the features of the insert 1934 can be formed to this point. However, in other embodiments, some or all of the insert forming devices are located in one piece of the production line in which two tube parts 1912, 1914 are brought together to cover the flat tube 1910. Accordingly, the insert 1934 may still be in the process of forming as the tube parts 1912, 1914 are brought together to close, and / or as the insert 1934 changes from an inclined position to a position parallel or substantially parallel to the wide sides of the tubes 1922, 1924, parts 1912, 1914 bq as described above.

In some embodiments of production line 1900, the roller sets used to create one or more different fragments of flat tube 1910 and inserts 1934 may be adjustable to create flat tubes 1910 and / or inserts 1934 with different cross-sectional sizes and characteristics. Alternatively or in addition, an advantage of some embodiments of the production line 1900 is that one or more sets of rollers (also identified as groups of rollers) used to create any fragments of the flat tube assembly can be completely replaced by other sets to form flat tubes 1910 and / or inserts 1934 with different sizes and characteristics. It should be noted that roller sets without separate adjustment can often be created in a relatively more inexpensive and efficient way.

Another feature of the production line 1900, which allows the formation of significant manufacturing advantages, relates to the flexibility in sheet width used to create flat tubes according to embodiments of the present invention. In some embodiments, one or more sheets of material can be formed by additional folds and / or to form additional channels for flow, as required in order to use the entire width of the sheets. For example (and with continued reference to an embodiment of the mechanical line illustrated in FIGS. 55-60), the sheet width of the material used to create the inner insert 1934 is generally greater than the width of the sheets of material used to make the first and the second part of the tube 1912, 1914. This may be the result of the presence of corrugations 1952 and deformed longitudinal edges in the 1934 insert 1938, 1942, while the first and second tube parts 1912, 1914 have only deformed longitudinal edges or otherwise require a smaller material width to form tube parts 1912, 1914 in some embodiments of. Any additional width of material used to form the insert 1934 can be used to create additional features of the insert 1934, such as one or more additional folds in the narrow sides of the flat tube 1910 and / or one or more additional folds forming channels 1916 for flow through a flat tube 1910.

Still other other features of the present invention also relate to the method by which the flat tubes described herein can be created, and the assemblies of the flat tubes and ribs, and also the method by which such assemblies can be created, and / or the assemblies of the flat tubes and fins contained in heat transfer devices. By way of example only, these aspects of the present invention will now be described and illustrated with reference to the creation of a two-part tube, and more particularly to a two-part tube 1910 illustrated in FIG. 28 and described above. The following description and the annexed drawings apply equally to the construction of any of the other two two-piece tubes (with or without inserts) described herein. Also, with the exception of an inconsistent or incompatible description, the following explanation and the accompanying drawings apply equally to the creation of any solid tubes (with or without inserts) also described in this document.

Some of the advantages of the fins forming tubes 1910 according to the present invention include a relatively simpler method of manufacturing such assemblies for manufacturing various types of heat exchangers. In some embodiments of the present invention, the endless tube 1910 (i.e., created by continuously feeding sheet material from one or more higher positions and forming sheet material into a continuous flat tube 1910), such as the endless tube 1910 illustrated in FIG. 61, 64 and 65 may be transported along the production line to secure the endless tube 1910 to at least one set of ribs 1959. It should be understood that reference is made to the process of connecting the ribs 1959 to a flat tube or with the endless tube may be used interchangeably herein (except for any indication to the contrary), without limiting the scope of the present invention. In some embodiments, only one of the two wide sides 1922, 1924 of the endless tube 1910 is equipped with a set of such fins 1959. Flat tubes 1910 created using fins 1959 on only one side can be used, for example, at the edges of the core of the heat exchanger 1965, this, the flat tube 1910 can be placed so that it faces inward so that the flat tube 1910 is next to the set of ribs 1959 of the adjacent tube 1910, or outward so that the set of ribs 1959 is next to the set of ribs 1959 of the adjacent tube 1910. B other wa In embodiments, such as those shown in FIGS. 61-66, both wide sides 1922, 1924 of the endless tube 1910 are suitably equipped with a set of such ribs 1959. In both cases, the set (s) of ribs 1959 can form a two-dimensional interface with a wide side ( sides) 1922, 1924 flat tube 1910.

Many of the flat tube and rib embodiments described below and illustrated herein are constructed from metal sheets including aluminum (e.g., aluminum or an aluminum alloy), although other metallic and nonmetallic sheet materials can be used instead in other embodiments . In some embodiments, a sheet of material used to create flat tubes 1910 is provided with a solder layer (not shown) on at least one side, while the sheet of material for making ribs 1959 is not coated with solder. In other embodiments, other positions of solder coatings are possible.

Although various aspects of creating finned tubes and the features of finned tubes described herein can be applied to flat tubes of any size, the unique advantages are obtained when applied to flat tubes 1910 formed from a relatively thin material and also described herein. For example, the relatively thin tube material may allow production on a continuous line of ribbed flat tubes 1910 (described in more detail below), which was not possible previously. In some embodiments, the flat tube wall material has a thickness of not more than about 0.20 mm (0.007874 inches). However, in other embodiments, the implementation of the wall material of a flat tube having a thickness of not more than about 0.15 mm (0.0059055 inches) provides significant efficiency results related to the overall efficiency of heat exchangers using a flat tube, processability and possible wall designs (as disclosed herein) which are not possible using thinner wall materials. Also, in some embodiments, the wall thickness of the flat tubes of at least about 0.050 mm (i.e., at least about 0.0019685 inches) provides excellent strength and corrosion resistance, while in other embodiments, the material thickness can be used walls of flat tubes of at least approximately 0.030 mm (0.00118 inches).

As explained in more detail below, the heat exchanger tubes and other parts of the heat exchangers described herein can be manufactured using a number of manufacturing methods and processes and may include signs of corrosion protection, such as, for example, the methods and processes described below and illustrated in FIG. .92-95. A number of manufacturing processes and techniques and the corrosion protection features mentioned below are particularly advantageous when applied to heat exchanger tubes and parts of heat exchangers having a significantly thinner material thickness. In addition, these methods, processes and signs of corrosion protection provide significant advantages associated with the overall efficiency of flat tubes and heat exchangers made of such a material.

The flat tube 1910 in the illustrated embodiment consists of two parts of a flat tube with an insert. For example, with reference to the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 66, each of the illustrated flat tubes 1910 may have a small diameter d of at least about 0.8 mm (0.031496 inches) to provide good performance results in many applications . In addition, a small diameter d not exceeding approximately 2.0 mm (0.07874 inches) provides good performance results in many applications. However, in some embodiments, a maximum small tube diameter d not exceeding approximately 1.5 mm (0.059055 inches) is used. Any other flat tube embodiments described herein (for example, constructed from only one fragment or any number of additional fragments) can be used to create finned tubes according to the present invention. Also, in other embodiments, any of the other small and large diameters D, d described above with reference to all flat tube embodiments disclosed herein may be used instead.

The manufacture of flat tubes 1910 and rib sets 1959 in the illustrated embodiment is schematically shown in FIG. 61 only with a few pairs of rolls 1971, 1973 that represent a fragment of an upstream production line not shown in more detail. This upstream production line also includes intermediate buffers (e.g., roller sets, not shown) for controlling the feed rate of the flat tube 1910 and / or ribs 1959. Moreover, although two pairs of rollers 1973 are shown in FIG. 61 so as to schematically to represent the creation of two sets of ribs 1959, it should be noted that one of the above production line for the ribs instead can be used in some embodiments.

Flat tubes that can be used to create finned tubes can be closed by brazing, welding, soft soldering, or any other appropriate method described herein along one or more longitudinal welds above the position in which ribs are attached to flat tubes. Such tube production can be used, for example, in those embodiments in which the flat joint between the flat tube 1910 and the set of ribs 1959 is a glued joint. Alternatively, the flat tube 1910 may be bonded by brazing, welding, or soft brazing during the production of finned tubes.

The flat tubes 1910 illustrated in FIGS. 61-66, 68 and 69 are described in more detail above with reference to FIG. 28. As mentioned above, the description and accompanying drawings regarding ribbed flat tubes and their manufacture apply equally to the creation of any other solid and two-piece flat tubes (with or without inserts) described herein. By way of example only, FIG. 67 illustrates another flat tube 310 that can be used in many of the finned tube embodiments described herein and described in more detail above with reference to FIG. In some embodiments, the flat tube 310 shown in FIG. 67 has a wall thickness of approximately 0.10 mm (0.003937 inches). One characteristic of this particular flat tube 310 is that the narrow sides 318, 320 are designed to be very stable. For example, the narrow side 318 includes a set of folds 330. Another characteristic of this flat tube 310 is that the flat tube 310 is divided into a series of flow channels 316 by means of single folds 328 or by means of sets 332 of several folds 328 in other embodiments . In some embodiments, the spacing between folds 330 may be less than 1.0 mm (0.003937 inches). However, this distance can be increased to the centimeter range. As described in more detail above in connection with (for example) the embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 1-13, it should be noted that the folds 330, which form the narrow side 318, can be designed with different lengths and / or shapes, thereby relatively increasing load resistance to temperature changes, pressure strength and / or impact strength of flat tube 310.

The ribs 1959 described herein can have any desired thickness and can be created from an endless sheet of material in some embodiments. However, the use of ribs 1959, formed from a sheet of material with a thickness of not more than approximately 0.09 mm (0.0035433 inches), allows for good performance results in many applications. Also, ribs 1959, formed from a sheet of material with a thickness of not more than approximately 0.03 mm (0.0011811 inches), provide good performance results in many applications.

63 illustrates alternative rib designs 1959 that can be used in various embodiments of the present invention. The ribs 1959 shown in FIGS. 61, 62, 64-66 and 68-68 correspond to the ribs 1959 illustrated in FIG. 63 (a). However, it should be understood that other designs of ribs 1959 are possible, which are included in the idea and scope of the present invention.

For example, as shown in FIG. 66, the wall thickness of the ribs 1959 may be approximately 0.06 mm (0.0023622 inches), and may have a height H of approximately 3.00 mm (0.011811 inches). As shown, the 2H distance between the two flat tubes 1910 may be approximately 6.0 mm (0.023622 inches) after the manufacturing process described herein, with adjacent sets of fins 1959 of adjacent flat tubes 1910 adjacent to each other.

The rib sets 1959 can be attached to the wide sides of a flat tube 1910 1922, 1924 by means of adhesive or by means of a metal joint (for example, welding, brazing or brazing), while the flat surfaces of the wide sides 1922, 1924 provide a significant surface area for such bindings. In some embodiments, the flat joint between the flat tube 1910 and one or more sets of ribs 1959 forms a smaller surface area than the surface area of the flat wide sides 1922, 1924 of the flat tube 1910.

The sets of ribs 1959 connected to the flat tubes 1910, as described herein, can be oriented in a number of different ways with respect to the flat tubes 1910. For example, the longitudinal direction of the ribs 1959 on the flat tube 1910 can be substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the flat tube 1910. However less than that, it was found that the sets of ribs 1959 can instead be connected to a flat tube (i.e., on its wide lateral sides 1922, 1924) so that the longitudinal direction of the ribs 1959 is inclined relative to the longitudinal the board of the flat tube 1910 and the direction perpendicular to it (i.e., in the direction of air flow in many applications). Examples of such ribs 1959 are shown in FIGS. 68 and 69, which show one set of 1959 ribs brazed to the wide lateral side 1924 of one flat tube 1910 (transparent in FIG. 69) and another set of 1959 ribs brazed to a wide the lateral side 1922 of another flat tube 1910. Accordingly, and as indicated by the arrows in FIG. 68, the air flow through one set of 1959 ribs is not parallel to the air flow through another set of 1959 ribs. In those embodiments in which FIG. 68 is a vertical sectional view of the used 1959 rib sets, the cooling air in one 1959 rib set deviates downward from the incoming horizontal and cooling air, while the cooling air in another 1959 rib set is directed upward from the incoming horizontal and cooling air.

In some embodiments, the tilt angle for each set of ribs described above is at least about 8 ° (measured between the longitudinal direction of the ribs 1959 and the longitudinal direction of the flat tube 1910) for good performance results in many applications. In addition, in some embodiments, this tilt angle is not more than about 8 ° for good performance results in many applications. In some embodiments, including embodiments in which a set of ribs 1959 in one flat tube 1910 is adjacent to another set of ribs 1959 in another flat tube 1910, as described in more detail below, this tilt of one set of ribs 1959 may be in a direction that differs from the slope of another adjacent set of ribs 1959 (see, for example, Fig.68 and 69).

In some embodiments of the present invention, a brazing method may be used when the endless flat tube 1910 and one or more sets of fins 1959 are transported continuously or in any intermittent manner through a connecting station 1969, an example of which is shown schematically in FIGS. 61 and 64. A set of ribs 1959 can be brazed to an endless flat tube 1910 in one or more of these connecting stations 1969, any or all of which are in further stages of the production line and finned tubes in some embodiments. In general, the connection station can be a relatively small device, creating the required brazing temperature using, for example, an induction coil. It should be noted that the brazing parameters (and therefore the type and power of the used connecting station (s) 1969) can vary according to the required parameters of the flat tube 1910.

In some embodiments, the rib sets 1959 are held against the wide sides 1922, 1924 of the flat tube 1910 by a predetermined force, while the rib sets 1959 are brazed as described above. Although the tube manufacturing process can be performed above the rib attachment process, significant advantages can be achieved by brazing or otherwise joining various fragments of the flat tube (e.g., insert 1934 to the flat tube 1910, at least one longitudinal edge of the flat tube 1910 to close the tube etc.) at the same time that the rib sets 1959 are attached to the flat tube 1910, for example, by the same brazing process described herein. In cases where one or more longitudinal seams of the flat tube 1910 have already been completed by the time the flat tube 1910 reaches the attachment part of the ribs of the production line, however, the flat tube 1910 can be used in the architecture of the production process. For example, as shown in FIGS. 64 and 65, rib sets 1959 can be attached in an endless fashion to the wide sides of 1922, 1924 of a finished endless flat tube 1910 by any of the methods described herein.

In some embodiments, the manufacturing process also includes forming parts of the tube and rib assembly assemblies (otherwise referred to herein as “finned tubes” and referred to generally by reference 1961) by separating the desired length of the finned tubes 1961 from an endless tube 1910 having one or more sets of ribs 1959. For example, a set of ribs 1959 provided for connection to an endless flat tube 1910 can be cut to the desired length and removed from the endless flat chopping 1910 either before or after attachment to the set of edges 1959 1910 endless flat tube (e.g., by brazing or any other method described above).

In other embodiments, the continuous supply of fins 1959 from a previous manufacturing process may be cut to the desired length, with the fins 1959 being spaced apart and attached to the surface of the endless flat tube 1910 in any such manner. With reference to the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 61, in yet other embodiments, one or more separators 1975 (e.g., blocks) can be placed between sets of ribs 1959 on a flat tube 1910 and thereby can be used to position ribs 1959 to establish the required distance between the sets of ribs 1959 connected to one wide side of the endless tube 1910. As shown in Fig. 61, the separators 1975 can be removed from the endless tube 1910 in the lower position, allowing the portions forming the finned tubes the free ends of the flat tubes at one or both ends of the flat tube 1910.

In any case, in yet other embodiments, interrupts between sets of ribs 1959 allow open parts of the flat tube 1910 to be provided, which may be useful for cutting or other processes for separating the tubes between the formed intervals and / or for perforation or other operations performed with the flat tube 1910 in these positions. Accordingly, the individual parts of the finned tubes may include a flat tube 1910 and sets of ribs 1959 placed on either or both flat sides of the flat tube 1910.

The finned tubes 1961 formed in accordance with the present invention can be integrated into a plurality of heat exchangers in any desired manner. However, in some embodiments, the unique characteristics of the heat exchangers and the features of the heat exchanger assembly assemblies are identified by the inventors. For example, the heat exchanger 1963 illustrated in FIGS. 61, 62 and 66 may include finned tubes, as described above, wherein a set of fins 1959 of one finned tube 1961 is placed next to another set of fins 1959 of an adjacent finned tube 1961. FIG. (which is a partial view of the tube and block or core of the 1965 ribs) illustrates the four finned tubes 1961 of the core of the 1965 ribs. The number of finned tubes 1961 can be determined, at least in part, based on a particular application of the heat exchanger. Accordingly, the finned tube arrangement described above can be repeated as many times as needed to form the core 1965 of the finned tubes 1961. Such a core 1965 can be assembled and then adapted to one or more collecting tanks 1967. In particular, the ends of the flat the tubes 1910, the cores 1965 can be free and can catch the collection tanks 1967 (for example, received in the respective sockets or other holes in the collection tanks 1967 or connected to support the exchange of fluids with internal parts holding tanks 1967 by any other appropriate means) for fixing and sealing them using any other adhesive or sealing composition. For example, FIG. 62 includes arrows indicating a general direction for mounting the collecting tanks 1967 to the core 1965 of finned tubes 1959.

As described above, the finned tubes can be arranged in a heat exchanger such that a set of fins 1959 of one finned tube 1961 is placed next to another set of fins 1959 of an adjacent finned tube 1961. These sets of fins 1959 can be in contact with each other. In some embodiments of heat exchangers using this finned tube arrangement 1961, a neutral zone of this structure is provided which is not involved in heat transfer, since the temperature of the finned tubes 1959 in the neutral zone is substantially the same or is the same in some embodiments. Depending on the number of finned tubes 1961 arranged in this way, there can be any number of neutral zones in the core 1965 between adjacent sets of 1959 ribs.

As a result, when assembling the heat exchanger 1963 from a number of finned tubes 1961 in these and other embodiments, it is possible to attach a set of fins on the finned tube 1961 to the fins 1959 of another adjacent finned tube 1961, thereby allowing processing of the heat exchanger core 1965 having such finned tubes as single structural unit. In relatively large heat exchangers, the advantage of attaching adjacent sets of fins 1959 in this way is that vibration or vibrations (and the noise generated by them) between adjacent finned tubes 1961 can be suppressed. Attaching adjacent finned tubes 1959, as just described, can be performed in some embodiments, by bonding material (e.g., adhesive, soft soldering, brazing, welding, etc.) used between adjacent sets of fins 1959 of adjacent finned tubes 1961, c it to the heat exchanger core 1965 was a single structural unit. In other cases, sets of 1959 ribs of adjacent finned tubes 1961 may be connected in other ways to form a heat exchanger core 1965 from such finned tubes 1961. For example, in some embodiments, an intermediate sheet (eg, a relatively thin sheet of metal or other material) may be placed between and connect adjacent sets of 1959 ribs. In other embodiments, a narrow air gap may exist between adjacent sets of 1959 ribs of adjacent ribbed tubes 1961. In other words, rib sets 1959 from one finned tube 1961 can be “adjacent” rib sets 1959 from another finned tube 1961 in a heat exchanger according to some embodiments of the present invention, even without a layer of material or element connecting the rib sets 1959.

After the row of finned tubes 1961 is assembled in the desired layout, the assembly can be secured together in a number of different ways, for example, by soft soldering, welding and / or brazing. In some embodiments, a rib-tube core manufacturing process 1965 may include the use of CAB brazing technology. A rib-tube core 1965, as described herein, can be manufactured with relatively lower energy consumption. In those embodiments in which rib-core cores 1965 are constructed with flat tubes 1910 formed from the relatively thin materials described herein, the various steps of bonding finned tubes 1961 together (for example, during CAB brazing) may be significantly reduced. For example, the speed or speed of such core-tube-core cores 1965 through different temperature zones of a CAB brazing furnace can be substantially increased relative to the speeds required for conventional tube-rib cores. One reason for such faster curing processes is the relatively low wall thickness of flat tubes 1910 (as well as fins 1959), making it possible to achieve substantially faster brazing temperatures (or elevated temperatures required for other curing processes) than when thin sheet materials are brazed. Transportation speeds and / or opening times at various stages of the manufacturing process can be optimized by selectively adjusting temperature settings, for example, using these finer materials. Additionally, the use of proper ramps, fittings, or auxiliary devices in the manufacturing process can reduce the possibility and / or degree of deformation of the tube-fin assembly, for example, after brazing, to secure the tube-fin assembly. More specifically, the expansion and contraction of the tube-fin cores 1965 occurring during heating and cooling do not necessarily cause unacceptable delays.

Additional aspects of the present invention relate to the use of the flat tubes disclosed herein in heat exchangers having one or more reservoirs used to establish a fluid exchange between the flow channels of various flat tubes and / or to provide liquid form or terminate connection heat exchanger in other equipment. These aspects of the present invention are adapted to flat tubes disclosed herein having relatively thin wall materials described above (for example, not more than about 0.20 mm (0.007874 inches) in some embodiments and not more than about 0.15 mm (0.0059055 inches) in other embodiments). However, it has been discovered that aspects of the present invention, described in more detail below, can be used in applications where flat tubes constructed from thicker materials are used. Therefore, various features of the present invention described below apply to heat exchangers having other types of flat tubes, including any of the types of tubes described and / or illustrated herein.

As explained in more detail below, the heat exchanger tubes and other parts of the heat exchangers described herein can be manufactured using a number of manufacturing methods and processes and may include signs of corrosion protection, such as, for example, the methods and processes described below and illustrated in FIG. .92-95. A number of manufacturing processes and techniques and the corrosion protection features mentioned below are particularly advantageous when applied to heat exchanger tubes and parts of heat exchangers having a significantly thinner material thickness. In addition, these methods, processes and signs of corrosion protection provide significant advantages associated with the overall efficiency of flat tubes and heat exchangers made of such a material.

As described above, the flat tubes described and illustrated herein can be used with heat exchangers having one or more reservoirs. These reservoirs may include prefabricated reservoirs, heads and other fluid housings adapted to allow fluid exchange between flat tubes and / or between flat tubes and the flow or exit of fluid from the reservoirs. For simplicity of description, these reservoirs are collectively referred to herein as “prefabricated reservoirs”, it being understood that these reservoirs may perform other functions, may be larger or smaller, and may have any other desired shape, while still including aspects of the present invention described below.

One embodiment of a collection tank according to the present invention is illustrated in FIGS. 70, 70A, 71, 76, and 77, and is generally designated 4467. Although the heat exchanger 4463 illustrated in FIG. 77 is shown with two collection tanks 4467, it should be noted that any number of collection tanks 4467 can be used in any possible heat exchangers, including one collection tank 4467 and more than two collection tanks 4467. Both collection tanks 4467 shown in Fig.77 have essentially the same features and are flanged with flat tube 4410 in substantially the same manner as described below and illustrated in FIGS. 70, 70A, 71, 76, and 77.

The 4467 collection tank may be constructed from any number of different fragments. For example, the collection tank 4467, illustrated in FIGS. 70, 70A, 71, 76 and 77, is formed as one monolithic substrate, for example, by injection molding or other appropriate process. In this and other embodiments, at least one row of receiving holes 4479 (described in more detail below) is integrally formed in the collection tank 4467. In other designs, such as the embodiment of the collection tank illustrated in FIGS. 72-75 and described below, a collection tank is formed from two or more separate fragments by injection molding or any other method and is joined together and has at least one row of receiving holes in one or more of the fragments. For example, in such embodiments, the collection tank 4467 may have one or more walls in which receiving openings 4479 are formed and one or more other walls formed by separate fragments of the collection tank 4467 so that other walls can be assembled in a step more later than the stage in which the flat tubes 4410 are placed in the receiving holes 4479.

The illustrated collection tank 4467 includes a series of receiving holes 4479 along its surface. Each inlet 4479 is surrounded by a wall inextricably formed with at least part of the collection tank 4467 and shaped to receive the corresponding free end 4477 of the flat tube 4410. The flat tubes 4410 may take any of the forms described herein, and can be cut to the length specified by the required parameters of the flat tube 4410 or the corresponding application. FIGS. 70, 70A, and 71 show a portion of the manufacturing process of the heat exchanger 4463, including installing the free ends 4477 of the flat tubes 4410 (according to any of the embodiments described herein) in the receiving openings 4479 of the collection tank 4467. In some embodiments, this the process can be performed by pushing the collection tank 4467 onto the free ends 4477 of the flat tubes in a manner analogous to the method schematically shown in FIG. Alternatively, the free ends 4477 of the flat tubes 4410 can be pushed into the receiving holes 4479, or the flat tubes and the collection tank 4467 can move towards each other and come together to establish these connections.

In some embodiments, flat tubes 4410 connected to a collection tank 4467 may have one or more sets of ribs 4459 (see FIG. 77) according to any of the embodiments described herein. By way of example only, the 4461 finned tubes already assembled and brazed in the upper stages of production (such as any of those described above) can have ribs 4559 with a wall thickness of approximately 0.030-0.090 mm (0.0011811-0.0035423 inches) and can then be secured in a collection tank 4467. For example, the protruding free ends 4477 of individual flat tubes 4410 with ribs 4459 already brazed to them, or such finned tubes 4461 already assembled and brazed into a block or core 4465, may stay sv be brazed during brazing (for example, being in a brazing furnace) and therefore do not have ribs 4559 to prevent them from being further inserted into the receiving holes 4479 of the collection tank 4467. Both ends of the flat tubes 4410 in any such embodiment may protrude and be free as just described, for connection with opposing collection tanks 4467.

In those embodiments in which the core 4465 is connected as just described, the core 4465 may be formed from flat tubes 4410 and sets of ribs 4459 by alternately stacking flat tubes 4410 and ribs 4459. An example of such a core design is illustrated in FIG. 77, which shows a brazed-tube-core 4465 with two collecting tanks 4467, each with an opening for connection to other equipment, with cooling air flowing through the fins 4459 so that cool the fluid in flat tubes 4410. The heat exchanger 4463 illustrated in FIG. 77 is only one of many types of possible heat exchangers to which one or more collection tanks 4467 can be connected. Only By way of example, any of the illustrated prefabricated tanks 4467 may be a reversing tank, so that both the inlet and outlet openings are arranged in a single collection tank 4467.

Flat tubes 4410 (with or without ribs connected to them, as described in previous embodiments above) can be individually inserted into respective receiving openings 4479 of collection tank 4467. However, significant advantages can be achieved by inserting two or more of the flat tubes 4410, and in some cases, all of the flat tubes 4410 of the core 4465 into the respective receiving holes 4479 at the same or substantially the same time, for example, in one step. This process can be performed when two or more of the flat tubes 4410 are already joined together, for example, by brazing or other fixing process (including the processes described herein) to form the whole core of the flat tube heat exchanger 4465 or part thereof. This process may make it possible to use more collection tank materials. However, at least in part depending on the material used for the collection tank 4467 and the process used to attach the ribs 4459 to the flat tubes 4410, in some embodiments, it is desirable to insert the free ends 4477 of the flat tubes 4410 into the corresponding receiving openings 4479 of the collection tank 4467 followed by cooling after brazing of the core 4465 tube-fin.

Many heat exchanger manufacturing processes require exposing the tubes and the collection tank to elevated temperatures for soft soldering, welding, brazing and other fixing processes, such as receiving flat pipes and a collecting tank in an oven or other heated medium, in order to connect the flat pipes to the collecting tank. Therefore, these processes prevent the use of a plurality of prefabricated tank materials, i.e., at least the materials used for fragments of the prefabricated tank forming the attachment positions to the flat tubes (for example, the wall or walls of the prefabricated tank forming the receiving openings). Therefore, these fragments of prefabricated tanks typically contain metal. By connecting the collection tank to one or more flat tubes that are already brazed, welded, brazed or otherwise bonded together as described above, plastic or other low-temperature materials can be used for many fragments, all or essentially all collection tank 4467. For example, a fragment or fragments of the collection tank 4467, forming the receiving holes 4479, may contain plastic. The entire collection tank 4467 in the illustrated embodiment of FIGS. 70, 70A, 71, 76 and 77 is made of plastic material, although other materials may be used in other embodiments. In those embodiments in which a fragment or the entire collection tank 4467 contains plastic, these fragments can be made, for example, by injection molding.

As shown in FIGS. 70 and 71, the receiving openings 4479 of the collection tank 4467 shown therein have curved surfaces 4481 to assist in inserting the ends of the 4477 flat tubes. In other embodiments, other shapes are used instead (e.g., flat inclined surfaces, perpendicular angular surfaces, and the like).

When the ends of the flat tube 4477 are fully inserted into the respective receiving openings 4479, they reach corresponding positions below the inner surface 4483 of the collection tank 4467, as best shown in FIG. 71, thereby preventing undesired pressure drop created by the ends of the flat tube 4477 during operation heat exchanger 4463.

In the illustrated embodiment of FIGS. 70, 70A, 71, 76, and 77, the receiving holes 4479 of the collection tank 4467 are shaped to form a rear portion 4485 (with reference to the insertion direction of the flat tube in FIGS. 70, 70A, 71, 76 and 77), which is substantially the same as the cross-sectional shape of the flat tube 4477. Although the rear portion 4485 of each receiving hole 4479 may be sized to fit with a gap for the end 4477 of the flat tube, in other embodiments (such as shown on Fig, 70A, 71, 76 and 77) an interference fit is used. In embodiments where an interference fit is used, slight pressure may be applied to the collection tank 4467 and / or flat tube 4410 to completely insert the end of the flat tube 4477 into the back of the 4485 inlet 4479, thereby sealing between the 4467 collection tank and the end 4477 of a flat tube, which may be impermeable or substantially impermeable to the fluid.

In some embodiments, the feature of the collection tank 4467 and / or the ends of the flat tube 4477 is used to control or limit the amount of introduction of the ends of the flat tube 4477 into the receiving openings 4479. For example, a stopper (not shown in FIGS. 70, 70A, 71, 76 and 77, but visible in FIG. 80 and indicated by reference numeral 4675) may be formed at the end 4477 of the flat tube and / or on the inner surface of the receiving hole 4479 to limit the insertion depth of the end 4477 of the flat tube.

In other embodiments, one or more ends of the flat tube 4477 may extend through a corresponding receiving hole 4479 and enter the internal compartment 4487 of the collection tank 4467. In such embodiments, the end of the flat tube 4477 may be deformed by any method, for example, by folding over the surfaces of the walls 4483 the inner compartment adjacent to the receiving hole 4479 to at least partially match the shape of these holes.

In the illustrated embodiment of FIGS. 70, 70A, 71, 76 and 77, adhesive 4489 is used to secure the ends of the flat tube 4477 inside the receiving holes 4479 (see FIG. 71) of the collection tank 4467. A number of different adhesives can be used, including those that harden immediately or after some time, as well as those that retain a certain degree of flexibility after installation. For example, in many embodiments, silicone adhesive from Dow Corning® may be used. In some embodiments, the adhesive 4489 provides a permanent and blind joint between the ends 4477 of the flat tube and the inner surfaces of the receiving holes 4479.

Adhesive 4489 can additionally act as a sealant to prevent loss of fluid from the collection tank 4467. In other embodiments, the ends of the flat tube 4477 are sufficiently fixed inside the receiving holes 4479 by inserting them into the backs of the 4485 receiving holes 4479, a sealing compound having no or substantially no adhesive properties can be used instead of adhesive 4489. For ease of description, the term “adhesive” with reference to flat pipe joints ok with prefabricated reservoirs means an adhesive that may or may not act as a sealant, although it should be understood that instead, in other embodiments, this material can act only or mainly as a sealant.

As best shown in FIG. 71, adhesive 4489 can for the most part cover a significant portion of the end of the flat tube 4477 and in some embodiments surrounds the entire periphery of the end of the flat tube 4477 in at least one lengthwise position. In the illustrated embodiment of FIGS. 70, 70A, 71, 76 and 77, the end portion of the end 4477 of the flat tube is not covered with adhesive 4489 due to its position inside the rear portion 4485 of the intake hole 4479. Due to the relatively tight fit between the rear portions 4485 of the intake holes 4479 and the ends 4477 flat tube, as described above, can prevent the passage of fluid passing through the collection tank 4467 (for example, liquid refrigerant or other fluid used as a heat transfer medium), in contact with adhesive 4489.

Adhesive 4489 can be inserted between the ends 4477 of the flat tube and the inner surface of the receiving openings 4479 in a number of different ways according to various embodiments of the present invention, many of which include the introduction of adhesive 4489 after or during the ends of the 4477 flat tubes placed in their respective receiving holes 4479. However, before further describing these embodiments, it should be noted that adhesive 4489 can be applied to the inside of the receiving holes 4479 and / or to the outer part of the ends of the flat tube 4477 in any way (for example, an aerosol, roller or other applicator, etc.) until the ends of the flat tube 4477 are inserted inside the receiving holes 4479.

The introduction of adhesive 4489 between the ends 4477 of the flat tube and the inner surfaces of the receiving holes 4479 during or after the insertion of the ends of the tube allows greater control over the number and / or resulting locations of the adhesive 4489 in the finished heat exchanger 4463 and can lead to more reliable connection and / or sealing between the ends of the 4477 flat tube and the collection tank 4467.

In order to provide space for the adhesive 4489 to be inserted between the ends of the flat tube 4477 and the inner surfaces of the receiving holes 4479, the receiving holes 4479 and / or the ends 4477 of the flat tube may be shaped so as to form one or more gaps 4493 between them. For simplicity of description, the term “gap” (when used herein to refer to the space where the adhesive 4489 is placed as described herein) means one or more such gaps, regardless of the particular peripheral position relative to the end of the 4477 flat tube, and regardless of whether or not two or more such gaps are maintained for one end of the 4477 flat tube fluid exchange with each other.

In some embodiments, a gap 4493 between the end 4477 of the flat tube and the adjacent inner surface forming the intake opening 4479 may have a width of at least about 0.3 mm (0.011811 inches) to allow proper adhesive injection (as described below) ) Also, through experiments, it was found that a gap width of not more than about 1.0 mm (0.03937 inches) provides good performance results. A number of considerations may at least partially form a gap size of 4493, such as the amount of adhesive required, adhesive characteristics (eg viscosity and time setting) and restrictions on the distance between adjacent flat tubes 4410. Another consideration relates to the need for some embodiments to The 4467 collection tank has a thickness or depth that is minimized. For example, in some embodiments, the collection tank 4467 protrudes above the flat tube core 4465 by a minimum amount to reduce the amount of space lost by the heat exchanger 4463 in the vehicle.

In some designs, the collection tanks 4467 essentially do not have a protrusion in the depth direction of the tube-rib core 4465 to avoid losing the available space required to install the heat exchanger 4463 in the vehicle. For example, in the illustrated embodiment of FIGS. 70, 70A, 71, 76, and 77, and with particular reference to FIG. 76, the undeformed end of a flat tube 4477 requires minimal or substantially no protrusion of the collection tank 4467 relative to the flat-core-core 4465 ", which allows the requirement for reduced space of the heat exchanger 4463 to be mandatory. In some embodiments, the protrusion can also be reduced (for example, to the order of several millimeters) when the manufacturing process of the heat exchanger 4463 includes use of the deformed ends of the flat tube 4477 (described later).

In some embodiments, the adhesive 4489 is injected through one or more openings in the collection tank 4467 or through one or more gaps between the ends of the flat tube 4477 and the collection tank 4467 accessible from the outside of the collection tank 4467 and the flat tubes 4410 after these the segments are at least partially assembled. For example, the collection tank 4467, illustrated in FIGS. 70, 70A, 71, 76 and 77, has a series of injection holes 4491, each of which extends through the wall 4495 of the collection tank 4467 into a gap 4493 formed between the end of the flat tube 4477 and one or more walls forming the receiving hole 4479.

Such injection holes 4491 may be located on either or both longitudinal sides of the collection tank 4467. In addition, more than one injection hole 4491 may extend to the same receiving hole 4479. In these cases, the adhesive 4489 may pour simultaneously into one receiving hole 4479 for example, through two injection holes 4491 on opposite longitudinal sides of the collection tank 4467. The adhesive may flow into the gap 4493 corresponding to each flat tube 4410, one at a time, in the gap groups 4493 (corresponding corresponding to the corresponding flat tubes 4410) simultaneously or essentially simultaneously or into all the gaps 4493 of the core 4465 simultaneously or essentially simultaneously. In some embodiments, the adhesive 4489 covers the entire periphery of each end of the flat tube 4477 and / or can fill the gap 4493 between the end of the flat tube 4477 and adjacent walls forming the receiving hole 4479. In addition, in some embodiments (for example, in FIG. 70, 70A, 71, 76 and 77) the tips of flat tubes 4410 may remain uncoated with 4489 adhesive.

An alternative method by which the adhesive is introduced between the end 4477 of the flat tube and the inner walls of the receiving holes 4479 is to introduce the adhesive through the bottom opening or gap 4497 between these fragments and supporting the fluid exchange with the gap 4493 described above. This type of introduction of adhesive can be used in addition to or instead of injection through injection holes 4491, as also described above, and eliminates the need for injection holes 4491.

84 is a flowchart describing a manufacturing process of a heat exchanger 4463 according to an embodiment of the present invention and referring to stations or manufacturing steps, and it is accompanied by a schematic representation of manufacturing a heat exchanger 4463 by this process. The term “station” is used herein for ease of description only and does not indicate or imply by itself that there is a physical separation between these “stations” in the production line. For example, prefabricated tanks 4467 can be placed in the free ends 4477 of a flat tube (station III) in the same or a different position compared to the process of applying adhesive 4489 (station IV).

72-75 illustrate a collection tank 4467 according to a further embodiment of the present invention. This embodiment uses virtually the same structure and has many of the same properties as the embodiments of the collection tank 4467 described above with reference to FIGS. 70, 70A, 71, 76 and 77. Accordingly, reference should be made to FIG. 70A, 71, 76, and 77 for additional information regarding the structure and features, as well as possible alternatives to the structure and features of the collection tank illustrated in FIGS. 72-75 and described below. The structure and features of the embodiment shown in Figs. 72-75, which correspond to the structure and features of the embodiment of Figs. 70, 70A, 71, 76 and 77, are indicated below by a series of 4,500 reference numerals.

Similar to the collection tank 4467 illustrated in FIGS. 70, 70A, 71, 76 and 77, the collection tank 4567 shown in FIGS. 72-75 has an internal compartment 4587 for exchanging fluid with flat tubes 4510, a series of receiving openings 4579, each of which has a back portion 4585 for receiving ends of 4577 flat tubes 4510, and a series of injection holes 4591 along the longitudinal sides (only one visible in FIGS. 72-75) of the collection tank 4567. FIG. 75 provides further details regarding receiving holes 4579, including the back of the 4585 used to receive and support the ends of the flat tubes 4577 4510 (at 75, not shown) and injection openings 4591 supporting fluid communication with the receiving openings 4579.

The flat tubes 4510 received by the receiving holes 4579 form the corresponding gaps 4593 between the inner surfaces of the receiving holes 4579 and the ends 4577 of the flat tube. As shown in FIG. 73, the flow paths 4516 of each flat tube 4510 in the respective inlet 4579 support the exchange of fluid with the internal compartment 4587 of the collection tank 4567. FIG. 73 also illustrates the connections between the injection holes 4591 and the receiving holes 4579 for injecting adhesive 4589 (not shown) to the gap 4593, as described above.

As best shown in FIG. 74, the inlet of the inlets 4579 may be closed or substantially closed on one or more sides of each end 4477 of the flat tube by means of inlet walls 4599 (not shown in FIG. 75). The inlet walls 4599 may be formed by one or more elements of the collection tank 4567, for example, through a plate in which several holes are made that form the inlet of each inlet 4579 when the plate is mounted with several openings aligned with the inlets 4579. Alternatively, the inlets walls 4499 may be formed by wall tips of receiving openings that are enlarged, expanded, curved or otherwise formed so that at least partially to cover the gaps 4593 described above. In some embodiments, the entrance walls 4599 are shaped to conform or substantially conform to the cross-sectional shape of the ends of the flat tube tubes 4577 received therein. In addition, the inlet walls 4599 may be dimensioned to form a clearance for the end of the flat tube end 4577, or may alternatively form an interference fit so that slight pressure can be applied to the collection tank 4567 and / or flat tubes 4510 to push flat tubes 4510 past the inlet walls 4599 and into the remainder of the receiving holes 4579. Thus, sealing at the inlets of the receiving holes 4579 can be provided between the collection tank 4567 and the ends 4577 of the flat tube. This seal may be impermeable or substantially impermeable to fluid in some embodiments, and prevents leakage of adhesive during injection of the adhesive in some embodiments.

It should be noted that the design of the collection tank 4567 illustrated in Figs. 72-75 (and in other drawings) is merely approximate and does not limit the scope of the present invention.

In some embodiments, the ends of the flat tube 4477, 4577 may be deformed. For example, the ends of the flat tube 4477, 4577 can be deformed so that the large diameter D of the flat tube 4410, 4510 increases, and the small diameter d of the flat tube 4410, 4510 decreases at the ends of the flat tube 4477, 4577. Given the relatively small wall thickness of the flat tubes 4410, 4510, in some embodiments, this deformation can be performed without significant stress on the walls of the flat tube 4410, 4510. In some embodiments, the dimensions of the periphery of the undeformed end of the flat tube 4477, 4577 remain essentially the same as and dimensions of the deformed end of the flat tube 4477, 4577. As a result, the walls of the flat tube 4410, 4510 in such embodiments are not substantially expanded or contracted.

In some embodiments, in which the ends of the flat tube 4477, 4577 are deformed, such deformation can be performed before the ends of the flat tube 4477, 4577 are inserted into the respective receiving openings 4479, 4579 of the collection tank 4467, 4567. An example of the connection of the flat pipes to the collection tanks is which ends of the flat tube are deformed are further described with reference to FIGS. 78-83.

78-83 illustrate flat tube connections to a collection tank according to three further embodiments of the present invention. These embodiments use virtually the same structure and have many of the same properties as the embodiments for connecting a flat tube to a collection tank described above with reference to FIGS. 70-77. Accordingly, the following description is primarily oriented to the structure and features that differ from the embodiments described above with reference to FIGS. 70-77. Reference should be made to FIGS. 70-77 for additional information regarding the structure and features, as well as possible alternatives to the structure and features of the embodiments of the compounds illustrated in FIGS. 78-83 and described below. The structure and features of the embodiments shown in FIGS. 78-83, which correspond to the structure and features of the embodiments of FIGS. 70-77, are indicated below by a series of 4600, 4700 and 4800 reference numbers, respectively.

In each of the embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 78-84, the ends of the flat tube 4677, 4777, 4877 are deformed, and the collection tanks 4667, 4767, 4867 have receiving holes 4679, 4779, 4879 of corresponding shape. The deformation of the ends 4677, 4777, 4877 of the flat tube shown in Figs. 78-84 is performed after completion of the brazing process (station III in Fig. 84), i.e. before installing the ends of the 4677, 4777, 4877 flat tubes in the receiving holes 4679, 4779, 4879.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 78-80, each flat tube 4610 has an end 4677 that is conveniently received in a corresponding rear portion 4685 of the receiving hole 4679. In this embodiment, the wide sides of each flat tube 4610 are widened (i.e., bent apart) to form the expanding end 4677 of the flat tube, while the narrow sides 4618, 4620 are compressed (i.e. bent to each other). In addition, each inlet 4679 also has stops 4675 (see FIG. 80) to limit the insertion of flat tubes 4610 to a desired distance.

Similarly to the embodiment of FIGS. 78-80, in the embodiments of FIGS. 81-83, the wide sides of each flat tube 4710, 4810 are apart so as to form an expanded end 4777, 4877 of the flat tube, while narrow sides 4718, 4720, 4818, 4820 are compressed. However, that fragment of the collection tank 4767, 4867 forming the receiving openings 4779, 4879 has one or more slots 4773, 4873 extending along at least a portion of the receiving openings 4779, 4879 and, in some embodiments, passing around the receiving opening 4779, 4879. In any case, the slots 4773, 4873 have such a position and dimensions to receive the free ends 4777, 4877 of the flat tubes 4710, 4810. The slots 4773, 4873 also act as stops to limit the insertion depth of the ends of the 4777, 4877 flat tubes .

After inserting the ends of the flat tube 4777, 4877 into the receiving holes 4779, 4879 and the slots 4773, 4873, adhesive 4789, 4889 (not shown) can be injected into the gaps 4793, 4893 between the ends of the flat pipe 4777, 4877 and the inner surfaces of the receiving holes 4779, 4879 This injection can be performed by any of the methods described herein and is carried out by injection through the injection holes 4791, 4891, for example, in the illustrated embodiments of FIGS. 81-83. In some embodiments, including those that use the deformed ends of the flat tubes, one or more inserts 4771 can be placed between the ends of the flat tube 4777 to prevent deformation of the ends of the flat tube 4777 when the ends of the flat tube 4777 are subjected to internal pressure loads. For example, the inner folds formed in the embodiment of FIGS. 1-5 can be protected from deformation when subjected to internal pressures by using inserts 4771. In the illustrated embodiment of FIGS. 81 and 83, for example, inserts 4771 have, in general a trapezoidal cross-sectional shape, although a different cross-sectional shape may be used depending at least in part on adjacent shapes of the ends of the flat tube 4777. The inserts 4771 can be placed at their positions near the ends 4777 of the flat tube before or after applying adhesive 4789 (for example, after station III or before or after station IV in FIG. 84).

If used, inserts 4771 can be made of any material, including, without limitation, plastic or metal, can be solid or hollow, and in some embodiments, can be formed by an easily deformable or fluid mass that later solidifies. Also, several inserts 4771 can be connected before and when inserted, for example, into a common rod or guide to form a comb shape (not shown). This type of insert, for example, by means of a common rod or guide may allow two or more, and in some embodiments, all of the inserts 4771 to be placed in one step. In some embodiments, the joints between the common shaft or guide and inserts 4771 are brittle, allowing the common rod or guide to be pulled out after inserting the inserts 4771.

In order to allow inserts 4771 to be inserted in the desired places between the adjacent ends of the flat tube 4777, either or both of the opposing longitudinal walls 4795 of the collection tank 4767 may have openings (see, for example, FIG. 83) aligned with these places and sized to provide insertion of inserts 4771. In this regard, it should be noted that inserts 4771 do not necessarily occupy the entire space between adjacent ends of the flat tube 4777 and should only occupy the required space between the ends 4777 of the flat tube to support seedlings under pressure if necessary.

It should be noted that various methods of introducing the adhesive into the spaces between the ends 4477, 4577, 4677, 4777, 4877 of the flat tube and the inner surfaces of the receiving holes 4479, 4579, 4679, 4779, 4879 described herein can be used regardless of whether whether the ends of the flat tube 4477, 4577, 4677, 4877 are deformed or undeformed.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the collection tank 4467, 4567, 4667, 4767, 4867 may include reinforcing walls 4469, 4569, 4669, 4769, 4869 extending between and / or at least partially forming the walls of the receiving openings 4469, 4569, 4679, 4779, 4879 of the collection tank 4467, 4567, 4667, 4677, 4877. These reinforcement walls 4469, 4569, 4669, 4769, 4869 can be used to strengthen fragments of the collection tank 4467, 4567, 4667, if necessary. 4767, 4867 and are invisible in the shown embodiments of the implementation of the collection tank. For example, one or more reinforcing walls 4669, 4769, 4869 may extend in the transverse direction of the collection tank 4667, 4767, 4867 (for example, connecting the opposite longitudinal walls 4695, 4795, 4895 of the collection tank 4667, 4767, 4867) and can provide additional strength and / or rigidity of the collection tank 4667, 4767, 4867. The reinforcing walls 4669, 4769, 4869 can be formed in any way and can be integral with the collection tank 4667, 4767, 4867 or individual elements connected to it in any suitable way. In some embodiments, the reinforcing walls 4669, 4769, 4869 are formed during injection molding of the collection tank 4667, 4767, 4867 and are thereby an integral part of the collection tank 4667, 4767, 4867.

Some embodiments of the prefabricated tanks 4667, 4767, 4867 according to the present invention may also or instead have reinforcing walls extending longitudinally with respect to the prefabricated tank 4667, 4767, 4867. For example, such reinforcing walls may be formed between and connecting the walls forming the receiving openings 4679 , 4779, 4879 collection tank 4667, 4767, 4867. As an example, Fig. 70A shows a cross section of one such longitudinal reinforcing wall 4469, which is located in the middle between the front and rear surfaces by the collection tank 4667, 4767, 4867 (although such longitudinal reinforcing walls can be placed in other positions if necessary). These longitudinally extending reinforcing walls 4469 may extend along any segment or the entire length of the collection tank 4667, 4767, 4867 (interrupted if necessary by the receiving holes 4679, 4779, 4879).

As mentioned above, the collection tank can be constructed from any number of segments connected together in any suitable manner. As an example, FIGS. 72 and 82 illustrate prefabricated tanks 4467, 4867, wherein the prefabricated tanks 4467, 4867 are formed from two fragments 4467a, 4467b and 4867a, 4867b. In both illustrated embodiments, fragments 4467a, 4467b and 4867a, 4867b are joined along the Z-shaped interface and can be joined by welding or adhesive. Still other other methods of establishing this connection are possible, at least in part, on the basis of the material used to form the collection tank 4467, 4867. In some embodiments, the connection is unlockable, for example, as shown in the embodiments of FIG. 72 -75, where the clamps for the collection tank 4467 can be used to lock in place with the possibility of unlocking a fragment of the collection tank 4467a in relation to the remaining part of the collection tank 4467b.

The various flat tube embodiments described herein can be used in a number of different heat exchangers adapted to various applications. In this case, the flat tubes can be modified from the embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 1-54 and / or can be assembled into heat exchangers in a variety of different ways in order to adapt the heat exchangers for specific applications.

85-90 illustrate four designs of heat exchangers according to various embodiments of the present invention. Although yet other other embodiments of heat exchangers are possible by modifying the number and arrangement of flat tubes and / or by modifying the types of flat tubes (e.g., tube size and shape, insert size and shape, etc.), each of the heat exchangers illustrated in FIG. -91 provides unique benefits in many applications.

Before describing each of the heat exchangers 4963, 5053, 5163, 5263, illustrated in more detail in FIGS. 85-90, it should be noted that each of the flat tubes 4910, 5010, 5110, 5210 illustrated in this document can be replaced with flat tubes 4910 , 5010, 5110, 5210, having any of the shapes and constructed by any of the methods described above with reference to the embodiments of FIGS. 1-54, and that any of the features of the heat exchanger assembly and assembly methods (e.g., regarding flat tubes, construction cores and core attachments to the head ), also described herein with reference to the embodiments of FIGS. 1-84, can be used in the design and manufacture of heat exchangers 4963, 5063, 5163, 5263, illustrated in FIGS. 85-90. For example, each of the flat tubes 4910, 5010, 5110, 5210, illustrated in FIGS. 85-90, consists of two parts of a flat tube 4910, 5010, 5110, 5210 with an insert 4934, 5034, 5134, 5234, in which two separate fragments sheet material is used to form each illustrated tube 4910, 5010, 5110, 5210, and in which a third separate piece of sheet material is used to form the inner insert 4934, 5034, 5134, 5234. Although the concrete structures are two-piece flat tubes (with inserts) illustrated in Figs. 0, are desirable for the described embodiments and other applications, any of these flat tubes 4910, 5010, 5110, 5210 can be replaced with any of the one-piece and two-piece flat tubes (with inserts) described above and / or illustrated in this document to adapt flat tubes 4910, 5010, 5110, 5210 and resulting heat exchangers 4963, 5063, 5163, 5263 for any desired application. In this regard, the combination of flat tubes 4910, 5010, 5110, 5210 with inserts formed from a different number of sheets can be used in one heat exchanger 4963, 5063, 5163, 5263.

In the illustrated tube structures of FIGS. 85-91 and any of the alternative tube designs just mentioned, either or both narrow sides of the flat tube can be formed by adjacent overlapping longitudinal edges, at least in part depending on the number of sheets of material used for in order to construct a flat tube. Therefore, each pair of overlapping longitudinal edges forms a reinforced narrow side of the flat tube. In some embodiments, either or both of the overlapping longitudinal edges of the flat tube can be bent one or more times to form an additional thickness of material in the narrow lateral side (s) of the flat tube. In some embodiments, the reinforced sheet of material forming the insert may have one or more longitudinal edges having such a shape as to lie adjacent to the overlapping longitudinal edges of the flat tube, thereby providing an additional layer of material for reinforcing the tube in narrow lateral sides. Also, either or both of the longitudinal edges of the insert can be bent so as to have a multilayer thickness lying adjacent to the overlapping longitudinal edges of the flat tube, thereby representing additional reinforcement on either or both narrow side sides. Accordingly, either or both narrow sides of the flat tubes can provide a thickness that reaches at least double, and in some embodiments more than double, the thickness of the sheet material used to form walls of flat tubes that can be formed by rolling thinner sheet material in some embodiments.

As described in more detail above, in those embodiments in which the flat tubes are constructed from a single fragment (with or without an insert), reinforcement of the narrow sides can be achieved by rounding one or more folds of the sheet of material to form a first narrow side of the flat tube, and overlapping opposite longitudinal edges of the sheet of material to form a second narrow side of the flat tube (for example, by placing or enclosing the bending of one longitudinal edge in pain bending the other longitudinal edge or by other methods described herein).

In some embodiments of the implementation of solid flat tubes, one sheet of material can form the outer walls of the flat tube, as well as internal channels for flow. In such embodiments, the gradation may be placed in the bends of the sheet of material (forming the narrow sides of the flat tube) in which the longitudinal edge of the sheet of material is aligned so that the outer surface of the flat tube remains as smooth as possible. Additionally, in those embodiments in which the insert is formed by a separate sheet of material, the two longitudinal edges of this separate sheet of material can be rounded or have a different shape to fit on the narrow sides of a flat tube (for example, see the illustrated embodiment according to FIG. 46).

As also described in more detail above, in those embodiments in which flat tubes are constructed from two separate fragments (with or without insertion), two separate fragments can be constructed identically, with one longitudinal edge of each fragment having a bend containing a smaller bend of the adjacent the edges of another fragment. Therefore, these two separate fragments can be rearranged relative to each other to form a flat tube. In other embodiments, two separate fragments are not identical to each other and have opposite longitudinal edges joined together by any of the methods described herein (including, without limitation, nested arched longitudinal edges).

Furthermore, the substantially flat wide sides of any of the tube embodiments described and / or illustrated herein can be used to provide improved brazed joints for ribs attached thereto, thereby leading to increased heat transfer efficiency of the heat exchanger 4963, 5053, 5163, 5263.

Also, in any of the two-part and three-part designs of flat tubes that can be used in the heat exchangers of FIGS. 85-89, the inner insert can be corrugated or have a different shape to form two or more channels for flow through the flat the receiver. The inner insert may have corrugations with different shapes and / or sizes in different places along the width of the insert to form two or more transverse zones of the flow channels having different shapes and / or sizes (see, for example, FIGS. 85-89). More generally, the inner insert may be shaped so as to form zones of flow channels having various shapes and / or sizes, at different locations in width of a two-piece or three-piece flat tube. In some embodiments, the implementation of the various zones of the channels for flow can be isolated from each other, while in other embodiments, the implementation of the various zones support the exchange of fluid with each other (for example, in one or more places along the width of one or more channels for flow). In addition, in some embodiments, each of the flow channels in the zone is isolated from other flow channels in one zone along the length of the flat tube, while in other embodiments, the flow channels in one zone support fluid exchange with each other (for example, through openings between adjacent flow channels), but isolated from other flow channels in other zones.

It will be appreciated that many of the advantages of using flat tubes 4910, 5010, 5110, 5210 according to the present invention in the illustrated embodiments of FIGS. 85-89 relate to the ability to produce these flat tubes at lower cost, less material and / or with improved heat transfer efficiency. These advantages are realized through the use of sheet materials having a relatively small thickness, described above, for the formation of flat tubes and inserts. Although any of the thicknesses of the flat tube materials described above can be used in the embodiments of FIGS. 85-89, the sheet material used to form the walls of the flat tubes in the illustrated embodiments has a thickness of not more than about 0.15 mm (0.0059055 inches). In addition, this sheet material has a thickness of at least about 0.03 mm (0.0011811 inches). These types of wall thicknesses can be used to withstand compressive loads, and can provide relatively good stability of internal pressures in many embodiments in light of the fact that the insert can be brazed to wide walls of a flat tube. Similarly, although any of the thicknesses of the insert materials described above can be used in the embodiments of FIGS. 85-89, the sheet material used to form the inserts in the illustrated embodiments has a thickness of not more than about 0.09 mm ( 0.003543 inches). In addition, this sheet material has a thickness of at least about 0.03 mm (0.0011811 inches).

By using various flat tube designs in illustrated heat exchangers 4963, 5053, 5163, 5263 and other heat exchanger designs, the advantages of increased production speed and / or reduced material and assembly costs can be realized. For example, based on the relatively low sheet deformation required to form the various one-piece or two-piece flat tubes according to the present invention described above, flat tubes can be created more economically on a tube mill (e.g., production lines 3701 and 1900) even at high working speeds with endless sheets of material. Moreover, with relatively low modification costs, heat exchangers having essentially any depth can be manufactured using the same source of flat tube discharge (for example, continuous or endless tube exhaust and finned tubes produced as described above, for example) .

The heat exchangers 4963, 5063, 5163, 5264 illustrated in FIGS. 85-90 are presented not only to illustrate embodiments of heat exchangers that provide good efficiency results in many applications, but also to illustrate a number of features of heat exchangers that can be used. alone or in combination with heat exchangers according to other embodiments of the present invention. Such features include, without limitation, prefabricated tanks that are internally divided to direct individual flows through different internal zones of the same flat tubes, and possible flow arrangements through a heat exchanger.

The heat exchanger 4963 illustrated in FIG. 85 has one row of flat tubes 4910 having a depth T (generally similar to the large diameter D of each flat tube 4910). Although any of the other large and small diameters D, d described above can be used for the flat tubes 4910, the large diameter D of the flat tubes 4910 shown in FIG. 85 does not exceed approximately 300 mm (11.811 inches). In some embodiments, a large diameter D of not more than about 10 mm (0.3937 inches) is used to provide good performance results. In addition, the small diameter d of the flat tubes 4910 shown in FIG. 85 does not exceed about 15 mm (0.59055 inches). In some embodiments, a small diameter d not exceeding approximately 0.7 mm (0.02756 inches) is used in order to provide good performance results. These dimensions of the flat tubes 4910 in the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 85 are particularly suitable for heat exchangers 4963 in motor vehicles. However, other applications are possible that fall within the scope of the idea and scope of the present invention.

The heat exchanger 4963 shown in FIG. 85 is adapted to cool two or more fluids through a common flow of cooling fluid (eg, air) passing between the flat tubes 4910. The cooling air is illustrated in FIG. 86 as a double block arrow that flows through ribs (not shown) between the flat tubes 4910.

According to the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 86, cooling air can flow either from left to right or vice versa through a cooling network formed by a tube-fin unit 4965. Each of the flat tubes 4910 includes four inner zones 4975a, 4975b, 4975c, 4975d at different places along the width of the flat tube 4910. The four illustrated inner zones 4975a, 4975b, 4975c, 4975d have the same or substantially the same width, although in other embodiments internal zones 4975a, 4975b, 4975c, 4975d of various widths are possible. In addition, each illustrated zone 4975a, 4975b, 4975c, 4975d has a number of flow channels 4916a, 4916b, 4916c, 4916d, each of which has a different shape and / or size from the channels 4916a, 4916b, 4916c, 4916d for the flow of other internal zones 4975a, 4975b, 4975c, 4975d. The shape and size of the flow channels 4916a, 4916b, 4916c, 4916d in each inner zone 4975a, 4975b, 4975c, 4975d are at least partially formed by the shape of the insert 4934 in this inner zone 4975a, 4975b, 4975c, 4975d. Although in the illustrated embodiment, the insert varies in shape from the inner zone to the inner zone 4975a, 4975b, 4975c, 4975d, each flat tube 4410 is essentially the same as the others in the heat exchanger 4963.

Although the heat exchanger 4963 illustrated in FIG. 85 uses four inner zones 4975a, 4975b, 4975c, 4975d, in other embodiments, any number of inner zones 4975a, 4975b, 4975c, 4975d may be formed by one or more of the flat tubes 4910 and any required relative dimensions may be used. Furthermore, although each part of the insert 4934 in each inner zone 4975a, 4975b, 4975c, 4975d of the flat tube 4910 illustrated in FIG. 85 has a different shape from the other inner zones 4975a, 4975b, 4975c, 4975d (thereby forming flow channels 4916a, 4916b, 4916c, 4916d, which differ in each inner zone 4975a, 4975b, 4975c, 4975d), in other embodiments, two or more inner zones 4975a, 4975b, 4975c, 4975d may have identical or substantially identical channels 4916a, 4916b, 4916c, 4916d for flow.

As shown in FIG. 85, in some embodiments, each flat tube 4410 in the heat exchanger 4963 or part of the heat exchanger 4963 has the same number of inner zones 4975a, 4975b, 4975c, 4975d with flow channels 4916a, 4916b, 4916c, 4916d having the same or essentially the same shape and size. However, this is not necessary in the case of other embodiments. The number, size and shape of the zones in each flat tube 4910 and in the set of flat tubes 4910 can be determined based at least in part on the requirements of the applications.

The heat exchanger 4963 of FIG. 85 includes two collection tanks 4967a and 4967b. One collection tank 4967a includes three partition walls 4973a, 4973b, 4973c, which extend in a direction substantially perpendicular to the depth T of the heat exchanger 4963, and which extend in a length direction with respect to the collection tanks 4967a, 4967b. Another collection tank 4967b includes two partition walls 4973d and 4973e.

Fig. 85 illustrates a series of arrows indicating flow directions through a heat exchanger 4963. On the left side (relative to Fig. 85), the medium flows into the first collection tank 4967a and through the first inner zone 4975a of each flat tube 4910. The second medium flows into the first collection tank 4967a and through the second inner zone 4975b of each flat tube 4910 and is separated from the flow of the first medium through the first inner zone 4975a through the first partition wall 4973a therein. The second medium is also separated from the first medium in the second collection tank 4967b through the first partition wall 4973d therein and from the third medium (which may be the second passage of the first medium through the heat exchanger 4963 in some embodiments, or another medium in other embodiments) in the second collection tank 4967b by means of a second partition wall 4973e therein. The middle dividing wall 4973b of the first collection tank 4967a forms a second medium stream entering the heat exchanger 4963 from the return stream of the second medium leaving the heat exchanger 4963 after passing through each third tube 4910 through the third inner zone 4975c. The third medium passes through the fourth heat exchanger 4963 through the fourth the inner zone 4975d of each flat tube 4910 and is separated from the second medium in the first collection tank 4967a by means of a third partition wall 4973c therein.

In some applications of the heat exchanger 4963 just described, the left side of the heat exchanger 4963 (with reference to a perspective view from FIG. 85) may be a high temperature zone for charge cooling air. The charge cooling air leaving this section of the heat exchanger 4963 after passing through the first inner zone 4975a of each flat tube 4910 can flow back to the heat exchanger 4963 in some embodiments, passing through the fourth inner zone 4975b of each flat tube 4910 in the right section of the heat exchanger 4963. Accordingly , this return flow may further be a low temperature zone for charge cooling air. In such embodiments, cooling fluid flowing between flat tubes 4910 may flow from right to left in the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 85. In the middle section of the heat exchanger 4963, the high temperature cooling fluid can enter the first collection tank 4967a, pass through the second inner zone 4975b of each flat tube 4910 and return through the second collection tank 4967b and through the third inner zone 4975c of each flat tube 4910 to exit the heat exchanger 4963 Therefore, the return passage of this fluid (upward from the first passage, as indicated by reference with respect to the flow direction of the cooling fluid passing between the flat tubes Ami 4910) forms a zone of low-temperature refrigerant. In some embodiments, 10% of this fluid passing through the second and third inner zones 4975b, 4975c can flow through these zones again to further lower its temperature, although other percentages (including none) are possible in other embodiments. Also in other embodiments, any number of partition walls 4973a, 4973b, 4973c, 4973d, 4973e in any number of collection tanks 4967a, 4967b having any number of fluid inlet and outlet ports may be configured in other ways to provide other designs and functions of the heat exchangers .

FIG. 86 illustrates a heat exchanger 5063 according to another embodiment of the present invention, in which flat tubes 5010 having the features shown in FIG. 87 are used. The illustrated heat exchanger 5063 is adapted for use in an automotive radiator of a cooling fluid, although other applications of a heat exchanger 5063 are possible. This heat exchanger 5063 includes an inner zone 5075a, which may be a high temperature zone in some embodiments, based on the fact that the temperature of the cooling fluid The environment in it is relatively high. The heat exchanger 5063 may also include a low temperature inner zone 5075b in which the temperature of at least a portion of the cooling fluid leaving the first inner zone 5075a can be further reduced.

More details regarding the flat tubes 5010 illustrated in FIG. 86 are shown in FIG. 87, which shows a flat tube 5010 according to an embodiment of the present invention that can be used in the heat exchanger 5063 of FIG. 86. Although the flat tube 5010 illustrated in FIG. 87 provides unique performance results, it should be noted that any other flat tube embodiments disclosed herein may be used instead. The flat tube 5010 illustrated in FIG. 87 is formed of two separate sheets of material, each of which forms the first and second parts 5012, 5014 of the two parts of the tube 5010. The third sheet of material is used to form the insert 5034. The first and second parts 5012, 5014 in the illustrated embodiment are identical or substantially identical, although they are rearranged relative to each other. In the manufacturing process, a larger bend, forming a large arcuate part, is formed on one longitudinal edge of each part 5012, 5014 and contains a smaller arcuate part formed on the corresponding longitudinal edge of the other part 5014, 5012 so that the two narrow sides 5018, 5020 of the flat tube 5010 had double wall thickness. Moreover, the opposite longitudinal edges 5038, 5040 of the insert 5034 are shaped to fit into the narrow inner sides 5018, 5020 of the flat tube 5010. In this particular construction, a three-layer thickness is formed on one narrow side 5018. This thickness can be three times greater than the thickness of the material used to form the first and second parts 5012, 5014 in those embodiments in which the thickness of the material of the insert 5034 is the same as the thickness used for the first and second parts 5012, 5014, although the insert 5034 may be made of finer material in other embodiments. It should be noted that the features shown in FIG. 87 can be applied to any other flat tube embodiments described and / or illustrated herein.

The two inner zones 5075a, 5075b of the flat tubes 5010 in the heat exchanger of FIG. 86 are formed at least in part by means of a corresponding insert section 5034 in each inner zone 5075a, 5075b. The first inner zone 5075a may be used in some embodiments to maintain relatively higher pressures than the fluid in the second inner zone 5075b, due to the relatively narrower flow channels 5016 formed by narrower gaps between the corrugations of the insert 5034 in the first inner zone 5075a. In addition, the second narrow side 5020 corresponding to the second inner zone 5075b has a greater reinforcement than the opposite (first) narrow side 5018. This reinforcement is formed by the longitudinal edge 5040 of the insert 5034 having two additional folds in the second narrow side 5020, thereby providing a second narrow side 5020 with five layers of material. This design provides an example of how flat tubes 5010 according to the present invention can be reinforced when required due to anticipated loads in selected areas of flat tubes 5010, and can be equipped with thinner wall areas (e.g., 0.03-0.15 mm (0 , 0011811-0.0059055) in some embodiments) in other areas where the expected loads are relatively low. Therefore, the weight of the materials used to construct the flat tubes 5010 and the production losses of the heat exchanger 5010 can be significantly reduced.

FIG. 88 illustrates a heat exchanger according to another embodiment of the present invention using the flat tubes 5110 shown in FIG. In the illustrated embodiment of FIGS. 88 and 89, the inner region 5175 of each flat tube 5110 has a series of flow channels 5116 formed at least in part by an insert 5134 that is uniformly formed or substantially uniformly formed over the entire width of the insert 5134. That at least the heat exchanger 5163 is equipped with two different groups G1, G2 of flat tubes 5110 having flow channels 5116 that are different from each other. In other embodiments, any number of such groups is possible. The fluid flowing in or out of each group G1, G2 of the flat tubes 5110 is separated from the fluid of the other group G2, G1 by means of a transverse partition wall 5173 in the collection tank 5167 extending in the depth direction of the heat exchanger 5163. Various fluids can flow into each group G1, G2 of flat tubes 5110. For example, in one group G1, a first medium (for example, oil) can flow, while in another group G2 a second medium (for example, cooling fluid) can flow. The flat tubes 5110 of group G2 are generally adapted for an environment in which a higher pressure than the pressure in the flat tubes 5110 of the group G1, as can be seen from the use of narrower channels 5116 for flow and smaller distances between the walls of the insert 5134 in the flat tubes 5110 groups G2, and a large degree of reinforcement of the narrow sides 5118, 5120 in the flat tubes 5110 of group G2 for relatively greater stability. In some applications, G2 flat tubes 5110 may form part of a low temperature heat exchanger coolant radiator 5163, while G1 flat tubes 5110 can form part of a high temperature coolant heat exchanger radiator 5163.

Assuming that the medium in the G2 flat tubes 5110 is under greater pressure than the G1 flat tubes 5110, the wide sides 5122, 5124 and the narrow sides 5118, 5120 of the G2 flat tubes 5110 are reinforced by the insert structure 5134, used in this document. In particular, the corrugations of the inserts 5134 in the flat tubes 5110 of the group G2 are significantly narrower than the corrugations in the flat tubes 5110 of the group G1. Additionally, the narrow sides 5118, 5120 of the flat tubes 5110 in group G2 have five layers of material (two layers formed by overlapping longitudinal edges of the first and second parts 5112, 5114 of the tubes in the narrow sides 5118, 5120, and three layers formed by two folds in each longitudinal edge 5138, 5140 of insert 5134), while only three layers of material are placed on the narrow sides 5118, 5120 of flat tubes 5110 in group G1 based on the lack of these folds of inserts. It should be noted that the flat tubes 5110 in groups G1, G2 may be identical or substantially identical and both may be equally adapted to receive the various types of inserts 5134 shown in FIG. 89. Accordingly, two different internal zones 5175 in the flat tubes 5110 are created in this particular embodiment by means of different inserts 5134 forming two different groups of flat tubes 5110 for the heat exchanger 5163.

FIG. 90 illustrates a heat exchanger according to yet another embodiment of the present invention using flat tubes 5210 similar to those of FIG. In this particular embodiment, the relative sizes of the inner zones 5275a, 5275b vary between the flat tubes 5210 of the heat exchanger 5263. In some embodiments (for example, including the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 90), the relative sizes of the inner zones 5275a, 5275b vary gradually from the flat tube 5210 to a flat tube 5210, at least along the section of the heat exchanger 5263. Accordingly, the collection tank 5267, attached to the flat tubes 5210, may have a partition wall 5273 passing pop rivers relative to the ends of the flat tubes 5210. The position of this dividing wall 5273a may correspond to the varying size of the inner zones 5275a, 5275b in the flat tubes 5210. If desired, one or more additional dividing walls can be included in the collection tank 5267 (for example, dividing wall 5273b shown on Fig), to provide additional separation of the flow through the heat exchanger 5263 in a predetermined manner.

An example of a one-piece flat tube 5310 that can be used in any of the heat exchanger embodiments described above is shown in FIG. The one-piece flat tube 5310 of FIG. 91 is substantially the same as that shown in FIG. 54, with the exception of the corrugations 5252 of the inserts, which are substantially rectangular in the embodiment of FIG. 91 (unlike the essentially triangular corrugations 4352 in the embodiment of FIG. 54), and with the exception of the flow channels 4316, 5316 having the same size in FIG. 54 and having different sizes in FIG. Accordingly, reference is made to the description regarding FIG. 54 for detailed information regarding an embodiment of the flat tube illustrated in FIG.

The flat tubes 4310, 5310 in FIGS. 54 and 91 can be formed from a single sheet of material and can be used instead of any of the flat tubes in the embodiments described above with reference to FIGS. 85-90. It should also be noted that any of the one-piece and two-piece flat tubes disclosed herein can be used in place of any of the other one-piece and two-piece flat tubes described above with reference to FIGS. 85-90. The narrow sides 4318, 4320, 5318, 53210 of both flat tubes 4310, 5310 illustrated in FIGS. 54 and 91 include the double thickness of the sheet of material used to form the flat tube 4310, 5310. The sheet of material may be bent twice in two regions of a sheet of material to be bent to form the narrow sides 4318, 4320, 5318, 5320 of a flat tube 4310, 5310 (i.e., regions adjacent to and located on the sides of a portion of a sheet of material having such a shape that form an integral insert 4334, 5334), thereby increasing t The thickness of narrow areas is three times in comparison with the initial thickness of the material. Moreover, each longitudinal edge of the sheet of material can be bent and moved so as to contain a corresponding reinforced part in the manner shown in FIGS. 54 and 91. Both of these reinforced sections can be equipped with gradations 4358, 4360 (invisible in FIG. but visible in FIG. 54) for receiving the corresponding longitudinal edges in the groove. In order to further strengthen the narrow sides 4318, 4320, 5318, 5320 of the flat tube 4310, 5310, additional folds can be built into the reinforced sections shown in FIGS. 54 and 91. Two groups are formed in the flat tube 5310 shown in FIG. 91. channels 5316 for flow, each of which has a size that differs from the sizes of the other group. In contrast, all flow channels 4316 in the embodiment shown in FIG. 54 are substantially the same size.

Figs. 19-23 illustrate a number of different flat tubes that are made of a single sheet of material. Like the other solid flat tubes illustrated herein, each of the embodiments shown in FIGS. 19-23 is particularly suitable for heat exchangers 4963, 5063, 5163, 5263, explained with reference to FIGS. 85-90. In particular, the flat tubes described above with reference to FIGS. 19-23 include narrow sides that are reinforced by providing vertical or horizontal folds. Additionally, FIG. 46 illustrates a flat tube 3710 that can be created from one piece of sheet material, with an insert 3734 that can be created from another separate sheet of material. This particular flat tube 3710 can also act as a replacement for any of the flat tubes 4910, 5010, 5110, 5210 described above with reference to FIGS. 85-90. As described in more detail above, in the embodiment of FIG. 46, one reinforced narrow side 3718 is formed by bending a portion of a sheet of material having additional folds. Another reinforced narrow side 3720 is formed by one longitudinal edge of the sheet of material containing the opposite longitudinal edge of the same sheet of material. This other narrow lateral side 3720 may also be different due to the fact that either or both of the longitudinal edges of the sheet of material can be bent for additional reinforcement. The second sheet of material can be equipped with a series of corrugations, as described above, and can also be equipped with bends or folds at either or both longitudinal edges 3738, 3740 for additional internal reinforcement of either or both narrow side sides 3718, 3720.

92-95 illustrates exemplary structures and methods of a heat exchanger for joining sheets of material to form a heat exchanger or part of a heat exchanger (for example, a heat exchanger core, part of a heat exchanger core, tube insert, heat exchanger tubes, flanges or fins of a heat exchanger, heat exchanger head, and the like. ) For example, in the illustrated embodiments of FIGS. 93-95, fins 8313 are brazed to heat exchanger tube 8310. In these exemplary embodiments, heat exchanger tubes 8310 are formed generally from a first flat sheet of material, and ribs 8313 are formed from a second sheet of material 8333 having a corrugated shape. In other embodiments, soldered sheets of material are different parts of one sheet of material. In addition, in other embodiments, and as explained in more detail below, heat exchanger tubes 8310 and / or fins 8313 may take various forms.

Although the methods described herein are given with reference to the manufacture of specific embodiments of the heat exchanger described herein, this is done by way of example only. Accordingly, it should be understood that the processes described with reference to FIGS. 92-95 can be applied to the manufacture of all heat exchangers and parts of heat exchangers described herein.

As described above, the relatively small thickness of the material sheets of the heat exchanger tubes 8310 and / or fins 8313 in some embodiments of the present invention can provide significant advantages associated with the overall heat exchanger efficiency, manufacturability and possible wall designs (as disclosed herein) that are not possible when using thinner wall materials. In addition, by using one or more of the features of flat tubes described herein, the inventors have found that a number of different flat tubes having different characteristics adapted to many applications can be constructed using a much smaller volume of material while maintaining strength properties and heat transfer of heavier traditional flat tubes. Moreover, although reference is made herein to flat heat exchanger tubes, the present invention can also or alternatively be applied to heat exchanger tubes having various cross-sectional shapes, including, without limitation, round, rectangular, triangular or other polygonal shapes, irregular forms, etc.

In some embodiments, heat exchanger tubes 8310, heat exchanger fins 8313, and / or other parts of the heat exchanger may be formed from sheets of material having the same or substantially the same thickness. Alternatively, in other embodiments, two or more parts of the heat exchanger may be formed from sheets of material having different thicknesses. In some of these other embodiments, heat exchanger tubes 8310 may be formed from sheets of material 8317 having a first thickness, and heat exchanger ribs 8313 may be arranged between adjacent tubes 8310 and may be formed from sheets of material 8333 having different thicknesses. In such embodiments, the first part of the heat exchanger (e.g., head) may be formed from sheets of material having a first thickness, the second part of the heat exchanger (e.g., at least one of the tubes) may be formed from sheets of material having a second thickness, and a third a portion of the heat exchanger (e.g., fins 8333) may be formed from sheets of material having a third thickness.

For example, in some embodiments, the flat tube 8310 may be formed from sheets of material 8317 having a thickness of not more than about 0.20 mm (0.007874 inches). However, in other embodiments, and as mentioned above, it has been found that heat exchanger tubes formed from sheets of material having a thickness of not more than about 0.15 mm (0.0059055 inches) provide significant advantages regarding the overall efficiency of flat tubes and heat exchangers made of this material, manufacturability and possible wall designs (as disclosed herein) that are not possible using thinner wall materials. Alternatively or in addition, ribs 8313 may be formed from sheets of material 8333 having a thickness of not more than about 0.20 mm (0.007874 inches). In other embodiments, ribs 8313 may be formed from sheets of material 8333 having a thickness of not more than about 0.15 mm (0.0059055 inches). In yet other embodiments, ribs 8313 may be formed from sheets of material 8333 having a thickness in the range of about 0.03-0.15 mm (0.0011811-0.0059055 inches) or slightly larger. In yet other embodiments, heat exchanger fins 8313 may be formed from sheets of material 8333 having a thickness of not more than about 0.03-0.09 mm (0.0011811-0.0035433 inches).

As shown in FIGS. 92-95, a first sheet of material 8317 made according to some embodiments of the present invention may include a solder layer 8335 providing at least a portion of the outer surface X1 of the first sheet of material 8317, an internal low-melting layer, or a corrosion protection layer 8337 located under the brazing layer 8335 or part of the brazing layer 8335, and a core 8315 placed under the low-melting layer 8337 (shown as one layer in Figs. 92 and 94 and as having two or more layers in Figs. 93 and 95). When used in this document and the attached claims, terms such as “under”, “below”, “above” and “above” are used only for ease of description and do not indicate or imply by themselves that the structure referred to should have any Any specific orientation taken or used in any structure.

The core 8315 in the illustrated embodiments of FIGS. 92-95 contains, by way of example, an aluminum alloy. The aluminum alloy may have an appropriate amount of one or more other materials, such as manganese, magnesium, titanium, copper and the like, used to increase the strength and / or corrosion resistance of the 8315 core, or to change one or more other characteristics 8315 cores as required.

In some embodiments, the core 8315 is modified to form a layer 8339 (sometimes referred to as a sublayer of the core 8315) having one or more properties different from the rest of the core 8315. For example, by diffusing silicon in the upper part of the core 8315 at an elevated temperature, for example, during the brazing process, the structure and / or composition of the aluminum alloy in the upper part can be changed to form a layer 8339 in which silicon is dispersed (see Fig. 93, which illustrates such a process, we perform minutes for the structure according to fig.92). In some embodiments, this change can be accomplished by forming intermetallic compounds containing silicon, such as a silicon-manganese aluminum compound. In this case, one or more components of the aluminum alloy in the layer 8339 (for example, manganese, only as an example) can accumulate, while the sheet of material 8317 is heated sufficiently to allow such accumulation, leading to a modified layer 8339 of the core 8315, in which the intermetallic compound has accumulated at locations along the modified layer 8339. In some embodiments, silicon can facilitate such accumulation, for example, by extracting one or more alloy components from this solid solution or simplify such accumulation in another way.

The thickness of the modified layer 8339 may depend on the temperature at which diffusion is performed at a time allowed for such diffusion to occur (for example, brazing time). In some embodiments, the modified layer 8339 is anodic to the rest of the core 8315. For example, in those embodiments in which manganese is recovered from the solid solution and accumulated as intermetallic as a result of diffusion of silicon into the core 8315, the resulting modified layer 8339 may be anodic to the rest of the core 8315.

As shown in Figs. 91-95 and as described above, the illustrated sheet of material 8317 includes one or more fusible layers 8337 (one in Figs. 92 and 93 and two in Figs. 94 and 95). Each fusible layer 8337 may include metallic material and may be a relatively pure or pure metallic material. In some embodiments, the low-melting layer 8337 comprises an aluminum alloy by which silicon dissolves at a lower speed than the material 8315 of the underlying core and has a corrosion potential, as described herein. For example, in some embodiments, the low-melting layer 8337 contains aluminum alloy, whereby silicon is scattered at no more than 50% of the speed at which silicon is scattered through the underlying material 8315. In other embodiments, the low-melting layer 8337 comprises an aluminum alloy by which silicon is scattered at no more than 70% of the speed at which silicon is scattered through the underlying material 8315. In this regard, the fusible layer 8337 may have an ultra-small amount of one or more additional materials (e.g., iron, copper, zinc, manganese, similar metals, and combinations of such metals, as an example). In some embodiments, the low-melting layer 8337 has a corrosion potential that is substantially similar to the corrosion potential of the adjacent residual brazing material of the brazing layer 8335 after the brazing process. In this regard, it should be noted that after the brazing process, a smaller amount of brazing material may remain on any part or all of the sheet of material 8317. In addition, in some embodiments, the material of the low melting layer 8337 is anode for the material of the core 8315 (for example, a modified layer 8339 and / or for the rest of the core 8315).

In some embodiments, the implementation of the layer 8335 of solder contains the material of the solder made of aluminum-silicon alloy. In other embodiments, other brazing materials, some of which contain silicon, can also be used alternatively. The solder layer 8335 may extend substantially along the entire outer surface of the sheet of material 8317, or instead may extend less than the entire external surface (for example, only to the target locations of the solder) of the sheet of material 8317. The layer of solder 8335 may be part of the sheet of material 8317 to be used in the brazing operation or may be deposited and / or formed by a portion of the sheet of material 8317 during the brazing process. In any case, the residual brazing material of the brazing layer 8335 after the brazing process may be anode for the material of the low-melting layer 8337.

Any of the layers and / or sublayers of the sheet of material 8317 described herein and / or illustrated in FIGS. 92-95 can be bonded by rolling. By way of example only, the sublayer 8339 of the above-described core 8315 can be formed by rolling a layer of material having the above-described properties of the sublayer onto another layer of material to form the core 8317 shown in FIG. 93.

As explained below, sheets of material 8317 formed according to the present invention can reduce and / or prevent corrosion (e.g., pitting corrosion). In some embodiments, one or more layers and sublayers of a sheet of material 8317 (for example, solder layer 8335, low melting layer 8337, sublayer 8339, and / or the remaining core 8315) can be formed from the material or fused with the material so that it is anode to one or more underlying layers or sublayers of the sheet of material 8317. For example, in some embodiments, each of the layers and sublayers of the sheet of material 8317 (ie, the residual material of the brazing layer of the brazing layer 8335 after the brazing process m, the low-melting layer 8337, the sublayer 8339 and / or the rest of the core 8315) can be formed of material or fused with the material so that they are anode for the underlying layer or sublayer and cathode for the adjacent overlying layer or sublayer after brazing.

In some embodiments, one or more layers and sublayers of a sheet of material 8317 (i.e., solder layer 8335, low melting layer 8337, sublayer 8339, and / or the remaining core 8315) are formed of material or fused with the material so that there is a difference, at least about 30 millivolts between one or more underlying layers or sublayers. For example, in some embodiments, each of the layers and sublayers of a sheet of material 8317 (i.e., solder layer 8335, low melting layer 8337, sublayer 8339, and / or the remaining core 8315) can be formed of material or fused with the material so that there was a difference of at least about 30 millivolts between each adjacent layer or between layers or sublayers separated from each other.

As mentioned above, in some embodiments, core 8315 includes titanium. In sufficient quantities, titanium can form dendrites during casting of the 8315 core, resulting in titanium-filled aluminum layers scattered through the 8315 core. At least in part, depending on the manner in which the sheet of material forming the 8315 core is formed, the titanium-filled aluminum can be located mainly in the low-melting layer 8337, mainly in the rest of the core 8315 or completely along the core 8315. In some embodiments, the implementation of titanium-filled aluminum can form sublayers in the heart Evin and 8315 may act as a further measure of opposition to corrosion of the core material. These sublayers may be cathodic to adjacent portions of the 8315 core to further resist corrosion.

In those embodiments in which titanium-filled aluminum is formed from sublayers of the core material as just described, titanium-filled aluminum can help increase corrosion resistance by causing corrosion to propagate in directions parallel or substantially parallel to core 8315, or in directions parallel or substantially parallel to the sublayers of titanium-filled aluminum, thereby helping to slow down or reduce corrosion. In some embodiments, the implementation of the core material 8315 contains approximately 0.05-0.30 wt.% Titanium. In other embodiments, a core layer 8315 having approximately 0.10-0.25 wt.% Titanium provides good strength and corrosion resistance. However, in many embodiments, a sheet of material 8317 having a core 8315 with a core layer 8315 having a titanium content of about 0.20 wt.% Or slightly more provides improved overall efficiency.

In some embodiments, the sheet of material 8317 has a thickness of not more than about 0.15 mm (it should be noted that any of the relatively thin wall tubes and thicknesses of the insert material described herein can be used). For example, the sheet of material of FIGS. 92 and 93 has a thickness of approximately 100 μm (3.937 mils). As described above, some embodiments of the present invention have a modified core sublayer 8339, which can be formed by diffusion of silicon on it. Silicon can be scattered from the fusible layer 8337 or from the solder material 8335 into the core 8315 in these embodiments. Diffusion can be performed during the brazing process. In light of the fact that the diffusion rate into the core 8315 can at least partially determine the resulting depth of the modified core sublayer 8339, this scattering can be controlled by the low-melting layer 8337. In this regard, the low-melting layer 8337 can serve to complicate (but do not stop) such a diffusion of silicon and may contain a material (for example, an aluminum alloy more resistant to silicon diffusion and having the corrosion potential described above) in which silicon dissipates at a lower rate than the core material 8315. By using this low-melting layer 8337, silicon diffusion can be limited to a depth of 50 μm (1.969 mils), while still allowing sufficient brazing time at a sufficiently high brazing temperature to solder the fin 8313 to material sheet 8317. In some embodiments, the manufacturing process described herein can prevent or substantially reduce diffusion beyond a depth of 30 microns (1.181 mil).

In embodiments in which two or more parts of the heat exchanger are bonded together, the second part of the heat exchanger (for example, fins 8313) can also or alternatively include a solder layer formed from or applied to the outer surface, an internal fusible layer placed under the solid layer solder or part of a layer of solder, and a core placed under the fusible layer. Alternatively or in addition, the core of the sheet of material used to form the second part of the heat exchanger (e.g., fins 8313) may include an outer part or layer of modified core material, as described above. Moreover, each of the layers or sublayers of sheets of material used to form the second part of the heat exchanger (for example, ribs 8313) may be anode to one or more underlying layers or sublayers. In some such embodiments, each of the layers or sub-layers of sheets of material 8333 used to form the second part of the heat exchanger (e.g., fins 8313) is formed of material or fused with the material, so that there is a difference of at least 30 millivolts between each adjacent a layer of material of the second part of the heat exchanger.

In some embodiments in which two or more parts are bonded together, the first part of the heat exchanger may be formed from a sheet of material having an outer part or layer that is substantially anode to the outer layer or part of the second part of the heat exchanger. For example, as shown in FIGS. 92-95, in some such embodiments, the outer portion or layer of the rib 8313 may be formed from a sheet of material 8333, which is anode to the sheet of material 8317 used to form the heat exchanger tube 8310.

Alternatively or in addition, the outer part or layer of the fin 8313 may be formed from a layer of material 8333 that is anodic to the alpha-phase residual layer 8341 formed from solder material between the outer surfaces of the heat exchanger tube 8310 and the fin 8313. In some such in embodiments, the alpha phase-based residual layer 8341 is anode to the low-melting layer 8337 of a sheet of material 8317 forming a heat exchanger tube 8310.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the first and second parts of the heat exchanger may be connected to opposite sides of the third part of the heat exchanger. For example, according to FIGS. 94 and 95, a heat exchanger tube 8310 having first and second outer surfaces X1, X2 is formed of a first sheet of material 8317. As shown in FIGS. 94 and 95, each side of the sheet of material 8317 may include a layer 8335 of solid solder, providing at least part of the outer surfaces X1, X2 of the first sheet of material 8317, an internal fusible layer or a corrosion protection layer 8337, located under the solder layer 8335 or part of the solder layer 8335, and a core 8315 located between the fusible layers 8337 . AT in some embodiments, both sides of the core 8315 may include a sublayer 8339 of a modified core layer.

It has been found that corrosion protection for heat exchangers or parts of heat exchangers with relatively small wall thicknesses (for example, wall thicknesses less than about 0.20 mm (0.007874 inches)) can be improved if brazing times are reduced (i.e. time when the heat exchanger or soldered part of the heat exchanger passes through a brazing furnace). It has been determined that a reduction of approximately 10% in brazing time demonstrates the desired results and provides, among other advantages, good strength and corrosion resistance. Moreover, the results can be improved if the brazing time is further reduced by approximately half.

In particular, it was found that an increase in brazing speed allows the diffusion of silicon from the brazing layer 8335 to lower layers or sublayers of the sheet of material 8317 to be reduced. Silicon diffusion is illustrated by dashed arrows in FIGS. 93 and 95. The diffusion depth of silicon can be less than about 50 microns (1.969 mils), or in some embodiments, it can be significantly less. 96 graphically illustrates this relationship. The dashed curve in FIG. 96 represents the diffusion path of silicon, while the solid curve represents the diffusion path in accordance with conventional brazing materials and techniques.

In some embodiments of the present invention, heat exchangers or parts of heat exchangers brazed with braze are placed on a conveyor or similar conveying device that passes through the various temperature zones of the CAB brazing furnace. In some such embodiments, the implementation of the temperature of the soldering furnace may be in the range of about 577-610 ° C (1070-1130 ° F).

The optimum brazing time for a particular heat exchanger or for a specific part of the heat exchanger depends, at least in part, on the total mass of the heat exchanger or part of the heat exchanger brazed by braze, the hardness conditions of the sheets brazed by the brazing material, the thickness of the sheets brazed by the brazing material and the composition of the sheets brazed solder material. For example, in some embodiments, the conveying speed for brazing heat exchangers or parts of heat exchangers with a wall thickness of 0.20 mm (0.007874 inches) or more in a CAB brazing furnace is about 0.5-1.5 m / min (19 , 69-59.055 in / min).

Before brazing the heat exchanger or part of the heat exchanger, it was found that material samples having properties substantially similar or identical to the heat exchanger or parts of the heat exchanger brazed with braze can be used to experimentally determine the optimum temperature profile for a particular material of the heat exchanger or part brazed heat exchanger. It was also found that by determining the optimum temperature profile, it is possible to increase the transportation speed of the heat exchanger or part of the heat exchanger brazed with brazing alloy to approximately 1.5-4.0 m / min (4.92-13.12 ft / min), thereby lowering the solder time.

In some embodiments, a non-corrosive stream may be applied to the outer surface X1 of one or both of the aluminum sheets of material 8317, 8333 prior to brazing. In some embodiments, it may not be necessary to apply flux to the outer surface X1 of one or both sheets of material 8317, 8333 to achieve high quality solder joints. In addition, in some embodiments, including embodiments in which the flux is not applied to the surfaces of the sheets of material 8317, 8333 prior to brazing, it was determined that high-quality internal solder joints can be created in a controlled atmosphere by adding one or more alloys, such as, for example, magnesium and / or lithium, to sheets of material 8317, 8333.

Various features and advantages of the invention are defined in the appended claims.

Claims (24)

1. A heat exchanger comprising a flat tube with a flow channel, the wall of which is formed of at least one sheet of aluminum alloy and has first, second and third layers, the second layer being placed between the first and third layers, the aluminum alloy of the third layer is anode relative to the aluminum alloy of the second layer, and the aluminum alloy of the second layer is anodic relative to the aluminum alloy of the first layer, while the third layer is more resistant to diffusion of silicon than the second layer, and the edge soldered to the TV rdym soldered to the planar wall of the tube via a fourth layer comprising braze material, the third layer being disposed between the second and the fourth layer, the wall and the layer of brazing material have a combined thickness no greater than about 0.15 mm. 2. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the fin comprises an aluminum alloy that is anode relative to at least a portion of the solder material between the wall and the fin. 3. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, in which the second layer is protected from corrosion by a third layer, which is anode relative to the second layer. 4. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, in which the fin contains a metal that is anode relative to at least one of the solder material of the fourth layer and the third layer. 5. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, in which the first and / or second layer contains sublayers of titanium-saturated aluminum. 6. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, in which the second layer contains accumulations of an intermetallic compound containing manganese, wherein the aluminum alloy of the first layer contains at least one additional component selected from the group consisting of manganese, magnesium and copper in unopened form , and uniformly distributed over the first layer. 7. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, in which the material of the solder contains silicon. 8. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, in which the material of the solder is an aluminum-silicon alloy. 9. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, in which the third layer contains an aluminum alloy with the presence of an additional component, the content of which is less than in the second layer. 10. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, in which the second layer has a thickness of not more than approximately 50 microns. 11. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, in which the aluminum alloy of the first and second layers contains not more than about 0.1 wt.% Zinc. 12. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, in which at least one of the third and fourth layers is anodic relative to at least one of the first and second layers with the formation of an electrochemical voltage difference between them of at least about 30 mV . 13. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, in which the wall and the layer containing the material of the solder have a total thickness of not more than approximately 0.10 mm 14. A method of manufacturing a heat exchanger tube, in which: form a tube of at least one sheet of aluminum alloy, and the tube contains a wall having a first, second and third layers, while the second layer is placed between the first and third layers;
form a rib;
solder the rib to the tube using brazing alloy, the sheet containing aluminum alloy, and the brazing layer forming a wall having a thickness of not more than about 0.15 mm; and
at least one of the brazing time and the brazing temperature is controlled in order to braze the rib so that diffusion of silicon through the third wall layer near the brazing material and into the second wall layer to a depth of the second layer is less than the full thickness of the second layer, during the formation of clusters of intermetallic compounds containing silicon, only in the second layer of the wall, and not in the first layer, and the third layer is located between the material of the solder and the second m layer. 15. The method according to 14, in which the first sheet has a thickness of less than approximately 0.10 mm 16. The method according to 14, in which additionally fasten by rolling the third layer on the second layer. 17. The method according to 14, in which the electric potential of the second wall layer is further changed so that the second layer is anode relative to the first layer, by forming an intermetallic compound. 18. The method according to 14, in which the rib contains an aluminum alloy that is anodic relative to at least a portion of the solder material between the wall and the rib. 19. The method according to 14, in which the first and / or second layer contains sublayers of titanium-saturated aluminum. 20. The method according to 14, in which the accumulation of intermetallic compounds contain manganese. 21. The method according to 14, in which the material of the solder contains silicon. 22. The method according to 14, in which the material of the solder is an aluminum-silicon alloy. 23. The method according to 14, in which the third layer contains an aluminum alloy more resistant to diffusion of silicon than an aluminum alloy of the second layer. 24. The method according to 14, in which the aluminum alloy of the first and second layers contains not more than about 0.1 wt.% Zinc.

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