Tubes and manifolds for heat exchangers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9816767-B2
Application number	US-201614993305-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 12, 2016
Priority date	Jan 12, 2016
Publication date	Nov 14, 2017
Grant date	Nov 14, 2017

Abstract

A heat exchanger includes a manifold defining a longitudinal axis, wherein the manifold includes an interior configured for a flow of heat exchange fluid therethrough. A plurality of heat exchanger tubes are connected in fluid communication with the interior of the manifold for exchanging heat exchange fluid with the interior of the manifold. Each tube is mounted to the manifold at a tube/manifold interface. Each tube extends into the interior of the manifold from the tube/manifold interface to a respective tube end face that is spaced apart from the from the tube/manifold interface by an offset. The tube end faces collectively define a tube-end profile, e.g., a smooth profile, within the interior of the manifold.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A heat exchanger comprising:
a manifold defining a longitudinal axis, wherein the manifold includes an interior configured for a flow of heat exchange fluid therethrough; and
a plurality of heat exchanger tubes connected in fluid communication with the interior of the manifold, each of the tubes being mounted to the manifold at a tube/manifold interface, wherein each of the tubes extends into the interior of the manifold from the tube/manifold interface to a respective tube end face that is spaced apart from the tube/manifold interface by an offset distance, and wherein the respective tube end faces of the tubes collectively define a tube-end profile within the interior of the manifold, wherein the respective offset distances of the tubes vary from tube to tube and wherein the tube-end profile deviates in shape from a surface defining the interior of the manifold, wherein for at least some of the tubes the respective offset distances of the tubes are a function of angle of each respective tube end face relative to the respective tube, wherein the greater the angle, the greater the offset distance.

2. The heat exchanger as recited in claim 1 , wherein each of the tubes has a single opening within the interior of the manifold, and has a tube wall separate and spaced apart from the other tubes.

3. The heat exchanger as recited in claim 1 , wherein the tube-end profile varies smoothly from a surface defining the interior of the manifold in both radial and axial directions relative to the longitudinal axis.

4. The heat exchanger as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:
a heat exchanger shell at least partially enclosing the manifold and tubes within an envelope, wherein a first flow circuit is defined in the manifold and tubes, wherein a second flow circuit fluidly isolated from the first flow circuit is defined in the envelope inside the heat exchanger and outside of the tubes and manifold for heat exchange between the first and second flow circuits wherein both of the first and second flow circuits are configured to be pressurized above or below the environment external to the heat exchanger shell.

5. The heat exchanger as recited in claim 1 , wherein the tubes are parallel to one another, wherein a first one of the tubes is less tangent to a surface defining the interior of the manifold than is a second one of the tubes, wherein the tube-end profile is offset from and conforms to the surface defining the interior of the manifold at the first one of the tubes, and extends circumferentially to the second one of the tubes, where the tube-end profile deviates from the surface defining the interior of the manifold.

6. The heat exchanger as recited in claim 5 , wherein the tube-end profile at the second one of the tubes is normal to the second one of the tubes.

7. The heat exchanger as recited in claim 5 , wherein the tubes include a first subset of tubes, including the first one of the tubes and the second one of the tubes, wherein the first subset of the tubes extends into the interior of the manifold from a first direction, wherein the tubes include a second subset of tubes opposite the first subset of tubes, wherein the second subset of tubes defines a tube-end profile symmetrical with that of the first subset of tubes across a manifold centerline.

8. The heat exchanger as recited in claim 7 , wherein the second one of the tubes of the first subset is across the manifold centerline from a corresponding tube of the second subset of tubes and is separated therefrom by a gap.

9. The heat exchanger as recited in claim 1 , wherein the tubes include an inlet end tube at an inlet end of the manifold and an outlet end tube at an outlet end of the manifold, wherein the tube-end profile includes a section that tapers along an axial direction relative to the longitudinal axis such that the outlet end tube reaches closer to the longitudinal axis than the inlet end tube.

10. A heat exchanger comprising:
a manifold defining a longitudinal axis, wherein the manifold includes an interior configured for a flow of heat exchange fluid therethrough; and
a plurality of heat exchanger tubes connected in fluid communication with the interior of the manifold, each of the tubes being mounted to the manifold at a tube/manifold interface, wherein each of the tubes extends into the interior of the manifold from the tube/manifold interface to a respective tube end face that is spaced apart from the tube/manifold interface by an offset distance, and wherein the respective tube end faces of the tubes collectively define a tube-end profile within the interior of the manifold, wherein the tubes include an inlet end tube at an inlet end of the manifold and an outlet end tube at an outlet end of the manifold, wherein the tube-end profile includes a section that tapers along an axial direction relative to the longitudinal axis such that the outlet end tube reaches closer to the longitudinal axis than the inlet end tube, wherein the outlet end tube is one of a plurality of circumferentially spaced outlet end tubes at the outlet end of the manifold, wherein the outlet end tubes are all spaced apart from the longitudinal axis.

11. The heat exchanger as recited in claim 1 , wherein the tubes include an inlet end tube at an inlet end of the manifold and an outlet end tube at an outlet end of the manifold, wherein the tube-end profile includes a cylindrical section extending along an axial direction relative to the longitudinal axis such that the tubes of the cylindrical section, including the inlet end tube, are evenly spaced from the longitudinal axis in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.

12. A heat exchanger comprising:
a manifold defining a longitudinal axis, wherein the manifold includes an interior configured for a flow of heat exchange fluid therethrough; and
a plurality of heat exchanger tubes connected in fluid communication with the interior of the manifold, each of the tubes being mounted to the manifold at a tube/manifold interface, wherein each of the tubes extends into the interior of the manifold from the tube/manifold interface to a respective tube end face that is spaced apart from the tube/manifold interface by an offset distance, and wherein the respective tube end faces of the tubes collectively define a tube-end profile within the interior of the manifold, wherein the tubes include an inlet end tube at an inlet end of the manifold and an outlet end tube at an outlet end of the manifold, wherein the tube-end profile includes:
a tapered section that tapers along an axial direction relative to the longitudinal axis such that the outlet end tube reaches closer to the longitudinal axis than the inlet end tube; and
a cylindrical section extending along an axial direction relative to the longitudinal axis such that the tubes of the cylindrical section, including the inlet end tube, are evenly spaced from the longitudinal axis in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.

13. The heat exchanger as recited in claim 12 , wherein the tube-end profile transitions smoothly from the tapered section to the cylindrical section.

Assignees

• Hamilton Sundstrand Corp

Inventors

• Schwalm Gregory K

Classifications

• F28F9/0282 Primary

  by varying the geometry of conduit ends, e.g. by using inserts or attachments for modifying the pattern of flow at the conduit inlet or outlet · CPC title

• F28F1/025

  with variable shape, e.g. with modified tube ends, with different geometrical features (F28F1/06, F28F1/08, F28F9/16, F28F9/18 take precedence) · CPC title

• F28F2009/0297

  Side headers, e.g. for radiators having conduits laterally connected to common header · CPC title

• F28F9/0243

  Header boxes having a circular cross-section · CPC title

• F28F9/182

  the heat-exchange conduits having ends with a particular shape, e.g. deformed; the heat-exchange conduits or end plates having supplementary joining means, e.g. abutments · CPC title