Olin Corporation

Myron R Randlett

Ralph L Webb

Daniel J Angeli

Jerome M Dupy

Peter W Robinson

Phillip John Campbell

Brian C Stacks

Louay M Chamra

A heat exchange tube for air conditioning and refrigeration applications is internally enhanced with helically arranged fins. The fins are separated from adjacent fins by a trough. The heat transfer coefficient is increased by forming the fins with a height-to-trough width ratio, h:T, of from 1.3:1 to 2.5:1. A further gain in heat transfer coefficient is achieved by fins having a normalized height (fin height/tube inside diameter) of at least 0.02.

Enhanced heat exchange tube

There is provided heat exchange tube formed from a ductile metal strip which is formed into a generally circular configuration with the opposing longitudinal edges of the strip welded together. Both surfaces of the strip are enhanced. One surface of the tube is enhanced with protrusions in the shape of truncated cones. The ratio of the pitch between longitudinally aligned protrusions and transversely aligned protrusions maximizes the formation and maintenance of vortexes in a flowing fluid along the tube surface.

Heat exchange tube with embossed enhancement

An externally and internally enhanced welded tube formed from a strip having a thickness b. The tube includes an inner wall enhanced with a first desired pattern having a thickness of a. An outer wail is enhanced with a second desired pattern, the second desired pattern having a thickness c. The weld fusing a portion of adjacent longitudinal edges of the strip wherein a weld bead associated with said weld is recessed within said desired patterns, does not extend beyond said desired patterns, and the length of said portion of said adjacent longitudinal edges that is fused together is from about (b+0.05a+0.05c) to about (b+0.2a+0.2c).

Internally and externally enhanced wielded tube

A metallic strip having at least one surface enhanced with a texture pattern is formed into a welded tube. A fin insert shapes the edges of the metallic strip prior to welding and minimizes the formation of a protruding weld bead. The longitudinally running edges of the metallic strip adjacent to the enhancement are angled so that the unenhanced portions of the strip edges contact during welding. By having the unenhanced portions contact, fluctuations in metal volume during welding are reduced. This reduces weld instability.

Method for the manufacture of an internally enhanced welded tubing

There is provided heat exchange tube formed from a ductile metal strip which is formed into a generally circular configuration with the opposing longitudinal edges of the strip welded together. Both surfaces of the strip are enhanced. On one surface, the enhancement constitutes parallel rows of vertical fins separated by channels. Conduits which run along the channels and are located at the base of one side of the fins facilitate bending of the fins about the fin base to form a nucleate boiling surface. On the opposing surface of the tube, the enhancement constitutes parallel rows of protrusions separated by a distance effective to generate turbulence in a fluid passing along the second surface. In a preferred embodiment, the protrusions are in the form of truncated cones.

A method for the manufacture of an enhanced heat exchange tube, in which the internal surface area is increased by either minimizing the apex angle of internal fins or increasing the fin height. The fins are formed by annealing a metallic strip while inhibiting recrystallization grain growth, texturing metallic strip, deforming the textured metallic strip into a generally circular configuration and bonding opposing edges of the strip together to form a length of tube.

Method of manufacturing a heating exchange tube

There is provided a method for the manufacture of a welded tube having an enhanced inner wall. A fin insert shapes the edges of a metallic strip prior to welding and minimizes the formation of a weld bead inside the tube. The portion of the edge of the metallic strip adjacent the outer surface of the tube is formed to a first angle, while that portion of the edge adjacent an inner wall of the tube is formed to a second, lesser angle.

Growing community of inventors

Cuba, MO, United States of America

Myron R Randlett