Method of manufacturing a heat transfer tube
US5933953A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 17, 1997 |
| Grant date | Aug 10, 1999 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 17, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10T29/53122
- WIPO fieldThermal processes and apparatus
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A method of manufacturing a heat transfer tube (10) having an external surface that is configured for enhanced heat transfer performance in both refrigerant evaporating and condensing applications. The tube is suitable for use in, for example, shell and tube type air conditioning condensers, flooded evaporators, falling film evaporator, or a combination of flooded and falling film evaporator. The tube has at least one fin convolution (20) extending helically around its external surface (13). A pattern of notches (30) extends at an oblique angle (.alpha.) across the fin convolutions at intervals about the circumference of the tube. There is a split spike (22) having two distal tips (23) between each pair of adjacent notches. The fin convolution, notches and split spikes are formed in the tube by rolling the wall of the tube between a mandrel and, first, a gang of finning disks (63), second, a notching wheel (66) and third, a splitter wheel (67). Because of the interaction of the rotating and advancing tube and the notching wheel, during the manufacture of the tube, the maximum width (W.sub.t) of the spike is greater than the width (W.sub.r) of the proximal portion of the fin convolu…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.