Corrugated Fin Structure for Heat Exchangers Without Airflow Separation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional fin tube heat exchangers experience increased ventilation resistance and airflow separation due to projections, which can lead to clogging from dew condensation or frost, and require improvements in heat exchange efficiency and size reduction.
Innovation Solution
A heat exchanger design featuring multiple corrugated fin members with wave forms and a preset acute angle relative to the airflow line, promoting secondary flows without airflow separation, and including heat transfer tubes with circular or rectangular cross sections, arranged to ensure effective heat exchange and prevent local speed increases.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If conventional fin structures with projections or cuts are used to improve heat transfer coefficient, then heat transfer performance is improved, but ventilation resistance increases and airflow separation occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies curved wave forms to the fin structures instead of straight or projected fins. The wave forms create smooth curved surfaces that guide airflow continuously without sharp edges, preventing flow separation while maintaining enhanced heat transfer through the curved geometry.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent optimizes parameters including the wave form amplitude, wavelength, and the angle between the wave form and airflow direction (maintained within 0-45 degrees). These parameter adjustments ensure effective secondary flow generation without causing airflow separation or excessive ventilation resistance.
2Productivity
If fin structures with projections are used to promote heat transfer, then heat exchange efficiency is improved, but dew condensation and frost clog the projections
Solution Approach 1:
The wave form fins provide smooth curved surfaces without sharp projections or corners where condensation and frost would accumulate. The continuous curved geometry prevents clogging while still generating effective secondary flows to enhance heat exchange efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the potentially harmful effect of airflow disruption into a beneficial secondary flow that enhances heat transfer. The wave forms intentionally create controlled flow patterns that improve convection without causing the harmful stagnation that leads to clogging.
3Temperature
If conventional heat exchanger design is used to achieve effective heat exchange, then heat transfer performance is maintained, but device size is large
Solution Approach 1:
The wave form fins with curved geometries generate strong secondary flows that enhance convective heat transfer coefficients. This allows the heat exchanger to achieve the same heat transfer performance in a more compact configuration, reducing overall device volume.
Solution Approach 2:
By optimizing the wave form parameters (amplitude, wavelength, and angle to airflow), the patent maximizes heat transfer efficiency per unit volume, enabling compact heat exchanger designs that maintain high performance.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The design enhances heat transfer efficiency, reduces airflow separation, and allows for a smaller size, effectively preventing clogging and improving overall performance in air conditioning devices and air property converters.
Implementation Method 1
production of secondary flow components effective for promotion of heat transfer
Implementation Method 2
making heat exchange with the multiple heat transfer tubes
Data Source
AI summary
A heat exchanger has multiple laminated fins 30. Each fin 30 has multiple tops 34 and multiple bottoms 36 arranged to have a preset acute angle γ (for example, 30 degrees) to an air flow line at an air inlet and to make an air flow in a cavity region behind each of multiple heat transfer tubes 22a to 22c in an air flow direction at an air outlet. This design of the fins 30 produces effective secondary flows of the air to improve the heat transfer efficiency and makes an additional contribution to heat exchange, due to the air flow in the cavity region behind each of the heat transfer tubes 22a to 22c in the air flow direction. This arrangement effectively prevents separation of the air flow and a local speed increase of the air flow, while improving the overall heat exchange efficiency by production of the effective secondary flows of the air.