Norsk Hydro, A.s.

William Cagle

Antonio Baldantoni

A method for enhancing the brazeability of a heat exchanger manifold block (110) by promoting the braze metal flow in and around the manifold block (110) during brazing within a braze furnace. The invention is particularly directed to enhancing a brazement between a manifold block (110) and a jumper tube (124) that fluidically connects the block (110) to another component of the heat exchanger system. The method entails increasing the rate of convective and radiative heat transfer to the block (110) during brazing within a braze furnace by providing fins (116, 128), grooves (118, 130) or similar features on one or more surfaces of the block (110) that increase the surface area of the block (110), and consequently increase the heating rate of the block (110) to something closer to that of the tube (124). In effect, the surface features increase the heat transfer rate of the block (110) to compensate for the disparate thermal masses of the block (110) and tube (124). The fins (116, 128) and grooves (118, 130) have been found to promote the flow of braze metal toward the block (110), which in turn has been found to promote the quality of the resulting brazement between the block (110) and tube (124).

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Pearl, MS, United States of America

William Cagle