Heat exchanger with aluminum alloy clad tube and method of manufacture

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12590769-B2
Application number	US-202418751758-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 24, 2024
Priority date	Dec 19, 2018
Publication date	Mar 31, 2026
Grant date	Mar 31, 2026

Abstract

A heat exchanger is disclosed. The heat exchanger includes a hollow tube extending from a tube inlet to a tube outlet. The hollow tube includes a wall that includes a core of a first aluminum alloy, and a cladding over the core of a second aluminum alloy. The second aluminum alloy is less noble than the first aluminum alloy and includes an alloying element selected from tin, indium, or gallium, or combinations thereof. A first fluid flow path is disposed along an inner surface of the wall from the tube inlet to the tube outlet, and a second fluid flow path is disposed across an outer surface of the wall.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A heat transfer system comprising a heat transfer fluid circulation loop in operative thermal communication with an indoor conditioned air space and an outdoor air space, including a heat exchanger that includes a wall separating an air flow path on a first side of the wall in operative fluid communication the indoor conditioned air space or the outdoor air space, and heat transfer fluid flow path on a second side of the wall in operative fluid communication with the heat transfer fluid circulation loop, wherein the wall includes a core comprising a first aluminum alloy, and a cladding over the core on the first side of the wall comprising a second aluminum alloy, wherein the second aluminum alloy is less noble than the first aluminum alloy and comprises an alloying element selected from tin, indium, or gallium, or combinations thereof, and wherein the second aluminum alloy has a composition consisting of 4.0-6.0 wt. % zinc or magnesium, 0.01-0.05 wt. % of one or more alloying elements selected from tin, indium, gallium, or combinations thereof, 0-2.5 wt. % other alloying elements, and balance aluminum.

2 . The heat transfer system of claim 1 , wherein the air flow path is in operative fluid communication with the outdoor air space.

3 . The heat transfer system of claim 1 , wherein the air flow path is in operative fluid communication with the indoor conditioned air space.

4 . The heat transfer system of claim 1 , wherein the second aluminum alloy further comprises zinc or magnesium.

5 . The heat transfer system of claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger comprises:
a hollow tube extending from a tube inlet to a tube outlet, said hollow tube including the wall; a first fluid flow path along an inner surface of the wall from the tube inlet to the tube outlet; and a second fluid flow path across an outer surface of the wall.

6 . The heat transfer system of claim 5 , wherein the cladding is disposed on an outer surface of the wall.

7 . The heat transfer system of claim 5 , wherein the cladding is disposed on an inner surface of the wall.

8 . The heat transfer system of claim 5 , wherein the wall is arranged as a hollow cylinder around the first fluid flow path.

9 . The heat transfer system of claim 5 , further comprising a fin comprising a third aluminum alloy extending outwardly from an outer surface of the wall.

10 . The heat transfer system of claim 9 , wherein the fin is arranged as a plate that includes an opening through which the hollow tube is disposed.

11 . The heat transfer system of claim 10 , comprising a plurality of fins disposed along an axis of the hollow tube, extending radially from the hollow tube.

12 . The heat transfer system of claim 11 , comprising a plurality of hollow tubes or a plurality of hollow tube sections extending parallel to said axis.

13 . The heat transfer system of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of hollow tubes or hollow tube sections extend through a plurality of openings in said plate or plates.

14 . A method of making the heat transfer system of claim 5 , comprising
fabricating a sheet that includes a core layer comprising the first aluminum alloy, and a cladding layer that comprises the second aluminum alloy; and forming the sheet into a fluid guide comprising the first fluid flow path in operative fluid communication with a first surface of the fluid guide and the second fluid flow path in operative fluid communication with a second surface of the fluid guide.

15 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising attaching one or more fins to the first or second surface of the fluid guide.

16 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the sheet is fabricated by roll pressing the core and cladding layers together.

17 . A heat transfer system comprising a heat transfer fluid circulation loop in operative thermal communication with an indoor conditioned air space and an outdoor air space, including a heat exchanger that includes a wall separating an air flow path on a first side of the wall in operative fluid communication the indoor conditioned air space or the outdoor air space, and heat transfer fluid flow path on a second side of the wall in operative fluid communication with the heat transfer fluid circulation loop, wherein the wall includes a core comprising a first aluminum alloy, and a cladding over the core on the first side of the wall comprising a second aluminum alloy, wherein the second aluminum alloy is less noble than the first aluminum alloy and comprises gallium.

18 . A heat transfer system comprising a heat transfer fluid circulation loop in operative thermal communication with an indoor conditioned air space and an outdoor air space, including a heat exchanger that includes a wall separating an air flow path on a first side of the wall in operative fluid communication the indoor conditioned air space or the outdoor air space, and heat transfer fluid flow path on a second side of the wall in operative fluid communication with the heat transfer fluid circulation loop, wherein the wall includes a core comprising a first aluminum alloy, and a cladding over the core on the first side of the wall comprising a second aluminum alloy, wherein the second aluminum alloy is less noble than the first aluminum alloy and comprises an alloying element selected from tin, indium, or gallium, or combinations thereof and comprises 4.0-10 wt. % zinc, 1.0-4.9 wt. % magnesium, or a combination thereof, based on a total weight of the second aluminum alloy.

Assignees

• Carrier Corp

Inventors

• Lombardo Mary Teresa
• Huang Ruoshuang
• Covington Jefferi J
• Patterson Matthew
• Espinal Anais
• Jaworowski Mark R
• Nardi Aaron T
• Thibaud Catherine
• Sienel Tobias H
• Avila Luis Felipe

Classifications

• F28F2260/02

  having microchannels · CPC title

• F28F2255/00

  Heat exchanger elements made of materials having special features or resulting from particular manufacturing processes · CPC title

• F28F2215/04

  Assemblies of fins having different features, e.g. with different fin densities · CPC title

• F28F21/084 Primary

  from aluminium or aluminium alloys · CPC title

• F28F19/06

  of metal · CPC title