Heat exchanger with aluminum tubes rolled into an aluminum tube support

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10837720-B2
Application number	US-201414533575-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 5, 2014
Priority date	Nov 6, 2013
Publication date	Nov 17, 2020
Grant date	Nov 17, 2020

Abstract

Heat exchangers and methods for assembling a heat exchanger are described, such as for example a round tube heat exchanger, which may be a fin and tube heat exchanger, and which may be used for example in a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system (HVAC) system and/or unit thereof. The heat exchanger includes aluminum tubes mechanically rolled into an aluminum tube support and the tubes are fluidically sealed with the tube support. The aluminum tube support including the aluminum tubes rolled therein is assembled to a fluid manifold configured to allow fluid flow through the heat exchanger and into and/or out of the heat exchanger.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A tube and fin heat exchanger for a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) unit, comprising:
aluminum tubes;
an aluminum tube support,
the aluminum tubes include end portions inserted into openings of the aluminum tube support, the aluminum tube support is planar at a location directly surrounding the openings, and the openings extend through the location, wherein the aluminum tubes intersect the plane at the location, the end portions of the aluminum tubes are mechanically rolled and expanded within the openings of the aluminum tube support, the aluminum tubes being mechanically connected to the aluminum tube support through being mechanically rolled and expanded into the tube support, the end portions of the aluminum tubes having an interference fit within the openings of the aluminum tube support so as to create a mechanical connection therebetween, the mechanical connection being free from welds or brazing; and
a manifold, wherein the aluminum tube support with the aluminum tubes mechanically rolled and expanded into the aluminum tube support is assembled with the manifold, wherein the manifold is a single casted manifold component that includes a gas header, an intermediate header, a liquid header, and fluid flow bends,
wherein the fluid flow bends are each configured to receive a fluid in a first direction, redirect the fluid around a bend defined by the fluid flow bend, and provide the fluid in a second direction that is different from the first direction,
wherein the gas header includes one or more scalloped chambers, and
wherein the intermediate header is a single scalloped chamber.

2. The heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein the aluminum tube support is constructed as a tube sheet.

3. The heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger is an air-cooled condenser tube and fin coil, which is configured for use in a fluid chiller.

4. The heat exchanger of claim 1 , further comprising a sealant applied between the end portions of the aluminum tubes and the openings of the aluminum tube support.

5. The heat exchanger of claim 4 , wherein the aluminum tube support is assembled to the manifold by a welded joint and one or more sealed portions.

6. The heat exchanger of claim 5 , wherein the welded joint is disposed on outer connection areas of the aluminum tube support and the manifold.

7. The heat exchanger of claim 5 , wherein any of the sealant and the one or more sealed portions include a wicking grade adhesive, which cures anaerobically.

8. The heat exchanger of claim 5 , wherein the welded joint includes a stress relief portion.

9. The heat exchanger of claim 8 , wherein the stress relief portion is disposed on the aluminum tube support.

10. The heat exchanger of claim 8 , wherein the stress relief portion includes a deformable flange.

11. The heat exchanger of claim 8 , wherein the stress relief portion is disposed on an outer portion of the aluminum tube support.

12. The heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein the manifold includes components configured to allow fluid circulation through the heat exchanger and into and/or out of the heat exchanger.

13. The heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein the manifold is configured for step circuiting, wherein the gas header includes a gas portion being supportive of a plurality of circuits, the intermediate header includes a portion supportive of a plurality of circuits, and the liquid header includes a portion supportive of a plurality of circuits, the plurality of circuits of the gas header being relatively greater than the portion supportive of the plurality of circuits of the intermediate header, and the portion supportive of the plurality of circuits of the intermediate header being relatively greater than the portion supportive of the plurality of circuits of the liquid header.

14. The heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein the manifold includes an inlet, the inlet is fluidly connected to the gas header, the gas header is fluidly connected to the intermediate header via a first one or more of the fluid flow bends such that in operation, a heat exchange fluid enters the inlet, is provided to the gas header, flows through the first one or more of the fluid flow bends, and is provided to the intermediate header.

15. The heat exchanger of claim 14 , further comprising an outlet header, and an outlet, wherein the liquid header is fluidly connected to the intermediate header by a connecting tube, the liquid header is fluidly connected to the outlet header via a second one or more of the fluid flow bends, and the outlet header is fluidly connected to the outlet such that in operation, the heat exchange fluid is provided to the liquid header from the intermediate header via the connecting tube, the heat exchange fluid is provided from the liquid header to the outlet header via the second one or more of the fluid flow bends, and the heat exchange fluid is provided to the outlet via the outlet header.

16. The heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein the gas header includes one or more chambers, the one or more chambers including an arrangement of larger and smaller flow areas, and the intermediate header includes a chamber having an arrangement of larger and smaller flow areas, the larger and smaller flow areas of the one or more chambers of the gas header being physically arranged out of phase with the larger and smaller flow areas of the chamber of the intermediate header.

17. The heat exchanger of claim 16 , wherein the fluid flow bends are slanted downward toward relatively smaller areas of the one or more chambers of the gas header.

18. The heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein the manifold includes an outer surface and an inlet, the outer surface slopes toward the inlet, a peak being formed at a location of the inlet.

19. The heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein the interference fit is able to withstand an operating pressure of 1,750 psig or greater.

20. A method of assembling a heat exchanger, comprising:
mechanically rolling end portions of aluminum tubes into openings of an aluminum tube support that is planar at a location of the aluminum tube support directly surrounding the openings and through which the openings extend, the aluminum tubes intersecting the plane at the location;
expanding the end portions of the aluminum tubes into the openings of the aluminum tube support to thereby create an interference fit between the aluminum tubes and the aluminum tube support, the interference fit being a mechanical connection free from welds or brazing;
sealing the aluminum tubes and the aluminum tube support;
assembling a manifold to the aluminum tube support, the manifold being a single casted manifold component that includes a gas header, an intermediate header, a liquid header, and fluid flow bends, wherein the fluid flow bends are each configured to receive a fluid in a first direction, redirect the fluid around a bend defined by the fluid flow bend, and provide the fluid in a second direction that is different from the first direction; and
sealing the manifold to the aluminum tube support,
wherein the gas header includes one or more scalloped chambers, and
wherein the intermediate header is a single scalloped chamber.

Assignees

• Trane Int Inc

Inventors

• Fox William Burgess
• Gregg Jacob Levi
• Gilbertson Corey Michael
• Smith Sean Andrews
• Gill Jeffery Carl
• Larrinaga Robert John

Classifications

• B23P15/26

  heat exchangers {or the like (making heat exchangers by methods covered by other subclasses B21D53/02)} · CPC title

• B21D53/08

  of both metal tubes and sheet metal (connecting tubes in openings B21D39/06) · CPC title

• F28F21/084 Primary

  from aluminium or aluminium alloys · CPC title

• F25B39/00

  Evaporators; Condensers · CPC title

• F28B1/06

  using air or other gas as the cooling medium · CPC title