Claims
- 1. A heat exchanger element comprising:a seamless conduit; corrugations formed in a section of the conduit, wherein the section extends for greater than a majority of the length of the conduit, wherein the corrugations comprise two or more indentions that form convolutions in the conduit, wherein the convolutions extend along a length of the section, and wherein a periphery of the conduit along the length of the section is substantially constant; texturing formed in an interior surface of the conduit; and texturing formed in an exterior surface of the conduit.
- 2. The heat exchanger element of claim 1, wherein the corrugations formed in the conduit are linear corrugations.
- 3. The heat exchanger element of claim 1, wherein the corrugations formed in the conduit are helical corrugations.
- 4. The heat exchanger element of claim 1, wherein the conduit comprises between 2 and 21 corrugations formed in the conduit.
- 5. The heat exchanger element of claim 1, wherein the conduit comprises between 4 and 9 corrugations formed in the conduit.
- 6. The heat exchanger element of claim 1, further comprising a cylindrical end portion at an end of the conduit.
- 7. The heat exchanger element of claim 1, further comprising cylindrical end portions at each end of the conduit.
- 8. The heat exchanger element of claim 1, further comprising a cylindrical end portion at an end of the conduit, wherein a section of the cylindrical end portion comprises an un-textured outer surface.
- 9. The heat exchanger element of claim 1, wherein the texturing in the interior surface comprises a plurality of grooves.
- 10. The heat exchanger element of claim 1, wherein the texturing in the exterior surface comprises a plurality of grooves.
- 11. The heat exchanger element of claim 1, wherein the texturing in the interior surface comprises a plurality of angled grooves in a clockwise orientation with respect to a longitudinal axis of the conduit, and wherein the texturing in the exterior surface comprises a plurality of angled grooves in a counter clockwise orientation with respect to the longitudinal axis of the conduit.
- 12. The heat exchanger element of claim 1, wherein the texturing in the interior surface comprises a plurality of angled grooves in a counter clockwise orientation with respect to a longitudinal axis of the conduit, and wherein the texturing in the exterior surface comprises a plurality of angled grooves in a clockwise orientation with respect to the longitudinal axis of the conduit.
- 13. The heat exchanger element of claim 1, wherein a height of the ribs formed in the inner surface of the conduit is less than about 0.035 inches, and greater than about 0.004 inches.
- 14. The heat exchanger element of claim 1, wherein a height of the ribs formed in the inner surface of the conduit is less than about 0.025 inches, and greater than about 0.004 inches.
- 15. The heat exchanger element of claim 1, wherein a height of the ribs formed in the inner surface of the conduit is less than about 0.020 inches, and greater than about 0.004 inches.
- 16. The heat exchanger element of claim 1, wherein a height of the ribs formed in the outer surface of the conduit is less than about 0.035 inches, and greater than about 0.004 inches.
- 17. The heat exchanger element of claim 1, wherein a height of the ribs formed in the outer surface of the conduit is less than about 0.025 inches, and greater than about 0.004 inches.
- 18. The heat exchanger element of claim 1, wherein a height of the ribs formed in the outer surface of the conduit is less than about 0.020 inches, and greater than about 0.004 inches.
- 19. The heat exchanger element of claim 1, wherein the texturing in the interior surface and the texturing in the exterior surface comprises a crosshatched pattern.
- 20. A system for producing a corrugated heat exchanger element having grooved interior and exterior surfaces, comprising:a texturing machine, the texturing machine comprising: an internal knurling tool configured to form a pattern of grooves in an inner surface of a tube; an external knurling tool configured to form a pattern of grooves in an outer surface of the tube; and a corrugating machine configured to corrugate a section of the tube, wherein corrugations formed by the corrugating machine in the section comprise two or more indentions in the outer surface of the tube that extend along a length of the tube to form convolutions in the tube.
- 21. The system of claim 20, wherein the corrugating machine forms linear corrugations.
- 22. The system of claim 20, wherein the corrugating machine forms helical corrugations.
- 23. The system of claim 20, wherein the corrugating machine forms between 2 and 21 corrugations.
- 24. The system of claim 20, wherein the corrugating machine forms between 4 and 9 corrugations.
- 25. The system of claim 20, further comprising a pointing machine configured to form a cylindrical end portion in the element.
- 26. The system of claim 20, further comprising a reducing machine configured to reduce an outermost diameter of the element.
- 27. The system of claim 20, wherein the inner knurling tool forms grooves in the inner surface of the tube that have a depth greater than about 0.004 inches and less than about 0.035 inches.
- 28. The system of claim 20, wherein the inner knurling tool forms grooves in the inner surface of the tube that have a depth greater than about 0.004 inches and less than about 0.025 inches.
- 29. The system of claim 20, wherein the inner knurling tool forms grooves in the inner surface of the tube that have a depth greater than about 0.004 inches and less than about 0.020 inches.
- 30. The system of claim 20, wherein the outer knurling tool forms grooves in the outer surface of the tube that have a depth greater than about 0.004 inches and less than about 0.035 inches.
- 31. The system of claim 20, wherein the outer knurling tool forms grooves in the outer surface of the tube that have a depth greater than about 0.004 inches and less than about 0.025 inches.
- 32. The system of claim 20, wherein the outer knurling tool forms grooves in the outer surface of the tube that have a depth greater than about 0.004 inches and less than about 0.020 inches.
- 33. The system of claim 20, wherein the outer knurling tool and the inner knurling tool form a crosshatched texturing pattern in the inner and outer surfaces of the tube.
- 34. A method of producing a heat exchange element, comprising:forming texturing in an inner surface of a conduit; forming texturing in an outer surface of the conduit; and corrugating a section of the conduit to form corrugations in the conduit, wherein the corrugations comprise two or more indentions in the outer surface of the conduit that extend along a length of the section to form lobes in the conduit.
- 35. The method of claim 34, wherein forming texturing in the inner surface of the conduit comprises forming a plurality of grooves in the inner surface.
- 36. The method of claim 34, wherein forming texturing in the outer surface of the conduit comprises forming a plurality of grooves in the outer surface.
- 37. The method of claim 34, wherein forming texturing in the inner surface of the conduit happens substantially simultaneous with forming texturing in the outer surface of the conduit.
- 38. The method of claim 34, wherein the grooves formed in the exterior surface of the conduit are substantially coaxial to a longitudinal axis of the conduit prior to forming corrugations in the conduit.
- 39. The method of claim 34, wherein the corrugations in the conduit are linear corrugations.
- 40. The method of claim 34, wherein the corrugations in the conduit are helical corrugations.
- 41. The method of claim 34, further comprising forming a reduced diameter length of cylindrical tubing at an end of the conduit.
- 42. The method of claim 34, further comprising forming a reduced diameter length of cylindrical tubing at an end of the conduit, wherein an outer surface of the cylindrical tubing is not textured.
- 43. The element formed by the method of claim 34.
- 44. A heat exchanger comprising,a shell; a pair of support structures within the shell; heat exchanger elements sealed to the support structures, wherein interior surfaces and exterior surfaces of a plurality of the heat exchanger element are textured; wherein texturing of the exterior surfaces of the plurality of the heat exchanger elements comprises grooves spaced around outer peripheries of the heat exchanger elements and extending along portions of lengths of the heat exchanger elements, wherein the plurality of the heat exchanger elements comprise corrugations, wherein the corrugations of a heat exchanger element comprise two or more indentions in a section of the exterior surface of the heat exchanger element, and wherein the indentions extend along a length of the section to form lobes in the heat exchanger element; a first fluid inlet and a first fluid exit configured to direct a first fluid through the heat exchanger elements; and a second fluid inlet and a second fluid outlet configured to direct a second fluid past the exterior surfaces of the heat exchanger elements.
- 45. The heat exchanger of claim 44, wherein end portions of the heat exchanger elements comprise cylindrical portions.
- 46. The heat exchanger of claim 44, wherein the corrugations of at least one of the heat exchanger elements are linear corrugations.
- 47. The heat exchanger of claim 44, wherein the corrugations of at least one of the heat exchanger elements are helical corrugations.
- 48. The heat exchanger of claim 44, wherein the texturing in the interior surface of the heat exchanger elements comprises grooves.
- 49. The heat exchanger of claim 44, wherein the second fluid is directed substantially
PRIORITY CLAIM
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/255,801 entitled “Corrugated Heat Exchanger Element Having Grooved Inner And Outer Surfaces,” filed Dec. 15, 2000. The above-referenced provisional application is incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein.
US Referenced Citations (34)
Foreign Referenced Citations (4)
Number |
Date |
Country |
25 15 312 |
Oct 1976 |
DE |
0 882 939 |
Dec 1998 |
EP |
1 448 901 |
Sep 1976 |
GB |
07-024522 |
Jan 1995 |
JP |
Non-Patent Literature Citations (1)
Entry |
International Search Report for international application No. PCT/US01/48765 mailed Jul. 22, 2002. |
Provisional Applications (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60/255801 |
Dec 2000 |
US |