Norsk Hydro, A.s.

David Michael Halbig

Jeffrey Lee Insalaco

William Marv Johnson

A method and tool for installing a baffle in a tubular member, such as a heat exchanger manifold. The method and tool are adapted to use a baffle having a closed base that acts to obstruct the flow of a fluid within the tubular member, and further having a sidewall extending axially from the perimeter of the base so as to form a recess in the baffle. The tool is generally composed of a sleeve having an elastically and radially deformable end, such as a number of cantilevered members adapted to be elastically bent radially outward. Radially outward deformation of the sleeve enables the sleeve to securely grip the baffle, maintain the orientation of the baffle during its insertion into the tubular member, and then plastically deform the sidewalls of the baffle in order to secure the baffle to the wall of the tubular member.

Apparatus for installing a baffle in a tubular member

Method for installing baffle in a tubular member

A method for forming ports on a heat exchanger manifold, in which risers are back extruded in a single operation from the surrounding material of the manifold such that subsequent machining steps to further define and finish the port are unnecessary. The method of this invention generally includes forging the manifold between a pair of die halves so as to back extrude a localized portion of the manifold into a riser cavity in one of the die halves. Afterwards, and while the manifold remains within the die cavity, a punch is forced through the riser cavity and into the extruded portion in a direction toward the manifold so as to further back extrude the extruded portion. This step causes the raised portion to flow in a direction opposite to the direction of the punch, producing a riser having an internal bore defined by the punch and an outer surface defined by the cavity. An internal chamfer can be simultaneously formed on the internal bore of the riser in order to facilitate assembly of a tube with the riser. The precision of the punch operation yields risers that do not require further machining or finishing to correctly size the risers or form the chamfers.

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Brandon, MS, United States of America

David Michael Halbig