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Heat exchanger and fabrication method thereof

Heat exchanger and fabrication method thereof description/claims

The present invention relates to a heat exchanger and a fabrication method thereof. More particularly, the present invention relates to a heat exchanger serving as an evaporator or a condenser in a refrigeration system and a fabrication method thereof.

Heat exchanger is an important component of a refrigerator and an air-conditioner. A heat exchange medium in the heat exchanger absorbs or releases heat through the change of the state, so as to achieve heat transfer. For example, the heat exchanger for the air-conditioner includes an indoor heat exchanger (evaporator) and an outdoor heat exchanger (condenser). The evaporator is a direct refrigeration device in the refrigeration system. Low-pressure liquid refrigerant absorbs heat and evaporates in the evaporator, so as to lower the ambient air temperature. The condenser transfers the heat absorbed by the refrigerant in the evaporator and the compressor into the outdoor air.

The conventional heat exchanger has a structure as shown in FIG. 1, and includes copper tubes and fins. The copper tubes are usually made of copper. The fins are usually made of aluminum sheets of 0.1-0.2 mm thickness. The aluminum mentioned in the present invention refers to pure aluminum and aluminum alloy. The spacing between the fins is 1.5-2.5 mm. The process generally includes fitting the aluminum fins onto the copper tubes and then expanding the copper tubes to fix the fins, or integrating the fins and the copper tubes by welding or riveting. However, in this process, an extra combined thermal resistance exists between the fins and the copper tubes, and the overall rigidity is poor, and the heat transfer performance is undesirable, thus affecting the energy efficiency ratio of the heat exchanger. To increase the heat exchange area, technicians have developed wavy fins and slit fins. However, as this process is complex and dust and dirt are easy to deposit on the fins, this technique is not well developed. Besides, as the price of the copper tubes is rising greatly in recent years, and thus the designers are determined to change the above structure.

In view of the above problems, with the development of the technique, in order to reduce the cost of raw materials, a heat exchanger using hollow aluminum tubes instead of the copper tubes is designed, but a bonding process like expansion or welding is still employed. After a performance test, it is found that as the expandability and compactness of the aluminum tube are unsatisfactory, the refrigerant leakage of the heat exchanger may occur, and obviously, the heat exchange efficiency cannot meet the requirements.

The present invention is directed to solve the problems that the heat exchanger is high in cost, the process is complex, and the heat exchange efficiency is low in the prior art. Thus, a heat exchanger and a fabrication method thereof are provided to reduce the cost of raw materials, simplify the process, and enhance the heat exchange efficiency.

To achieve the above objective, a technical scheme of a heat exchanger having an aluminum main body is provided. The aluminum main body has heat exchange medium passages that allow a heat exchange medium to circulate, and fins for heat exchange extending outward from the surface of the aluminum main body.

The fins are preferably of a sheet structure and formed on the main body through skiving.

The thickness, height, and spacing of the fins are determined according to a heat exchange amount and a force of the wind resistance.

Further, the heat exchanger is bent into a shape of “S”, “C”, or helix.

A transverse cross-section of the aluminum main body may be of any shape, preferably, rectangular or trapezoidal shaped, and the fins are disposed on two opposite sides of the aluminum main body.

Moreover, the heat exchanger further includes a supporting plate on which the heat exchanger is mounted and fixed, and tube joints for connecting the heat exchange medium passages inside the main body and an external heat exchange medium piping are disposed at both ends of the main body.

The transverse cross-section of the heat exchange medium passages is in a shape of round, triangle, quadrangle, or polygon.

One main body has a plurality of heat exchange medium passages therein.

Meanwhile, the present invention provides a method of fabricating a heat exchanger, which includes the following steps.

A1. An aluminum main body is fabricated. An aluminum tube having heat exchange medium passages that allow a heat exchange medium is formed through stretching or extrusion.

B1. A heat sink is fabricated. Fins are shaped through skiving on an external surface of the aluminum tube formed in Step A1.

Furthermore, the present invention further includes the following steps after Step B1.

C1. The fins are pushed. The fins are adjusted to form a certain angle with respect to the surface of the main body.

D1. The heat exchanger with fins relieved thereon is bent into a desired shape.

In the heat exchanger of the present invention, as the main body and the fins are integrally formed, the extra combined thermal resistance existing in the conventional heat exchanger is avoided between the fins and the main body. So, the overall thermal resistance is reduced and the heat exchange efficiency is enhanced. In the method of fabricating the heat exchanger of the present invention, as the fins are formed through skiving on the aluminum profile that constitutes the main body, the process is simplified, the consistency of product quality is effectively ensured, and meanwhile the expensive copper tubes are saved, thus greatly lowering the cost. Moreover, the heat exchange medium passages are formed by extruding the aluminum material, so the hermeticity is good, and the leakage of the heat exchange medium can be effectively prevented. Meanwhile, the required heat exchange medium passages can be conveniently formed through extrusion. The heat exchanger can be bent into any desired shape after the fins are shaped. Compared with the prior art in which multiple copper tubes are welded, no welding seams and welding spots are formed, thereby effectively avoiding the fatal defect of the leakage of heat exchange medium in the heat exchanger. Further, the heat exchanger formerly in the strip shape can be bent into any desired shape according to the requirements, and thus the present invention is more convenient and flexible.

• Provisional Patent
• Utility Patent

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