Abstract:
A heat exchanger comprises at least one tube or plate pair defining a fluid flow passage which is reduced in height across a portion of its width. A turbulizer comprising a plurality of rows of convolutions is received inside the fluid flow passage in either the low pressure drop or high pressure drop orientation. The turbulizer includes convolutions of reduced height in order to at least partially fill the reduced-height portions of the fluid flow passage and thereby reduce bypass flow. In some preferred embodiments of the invention, heat exchanger tubes or plate pairs define fluid flow passages which are reduced in height along their edges, and the turbulizer is similarly reduced in height along its edges.
Abstract:
A turbulizer is formed that has corrugations that each have side walls with openings and offset portions in them. A strip is rolled longitudinally to form a corrugated strip that has longitudinally extending corrugations. Openings and the above-mentioned offset portions are formed in the corrugated strip. An apparatus for forming a turbulizer has one or more pairs of roll dies that have cooperating corrugated profiles that advance strip stock that is engaged between them. These roll dies provide the strip with longitudinally extending corrugations. First and second forming dies receive the corrugated strip and move relative to one another to form pairs of spaced cuts that each define a wall portion between them. This wall portion is displaced transversely of an adjacent portion of the corrugated strip. A fin or turbulizer for a heat exchanger has a strip that has longitudinally extending side edges and longitudinally extending corrugations. There are openings through the corrugations in a region that is intermediate the side edges. An imperforate side edge portion extends between the side edge and the intermediate region. The corrugations extend in a general plane. The imperforate side edge portion inclines with respect to that general plane outwardly away from the intermediate region. The side edge portion may incline with respect to the general plane outwardly away from the intermediate portion and may have a distal portion extending inwardly generally toward the intermediate portion.