Micro-Channel Heat Exchanger Tube Layout for Corrosion Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Micro-channel heat exchangers suffer from dust and moisture accumulation in twisted and bent sections, leading to corrosion and potential leakage.
Innovation Solution
Designing a heat exchanger with flat heat exchange tubes that include a first and second section connected by a bent section, where the bent section protrudes to facilitate dust and moisture discharge, and the angle and distance between sections are optimized to minimize overlap and contact areas.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the heat exchange tube is twisted and bent to improve heat exchange efficiency, then the heat exchange performance is improved, but dust and moisture accumulate in the torsion section leading to corrosion
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional twisted and bent configuration by using a straight heat exchange tube with a protruding bent section at the end. This reversal eliminates the torsion section where dust and moisture accumulate, while still achieving heat exchange functionality through the straight tube portion and controlled bending at the termination.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the harmful torsion section from the heat exchange tube design. By separating the heat exchange function (performed by the straight tube) from the directional/bending function (performed by the isolated protruding section), it eliminates the accumulation zone while preserving necessary structural characteristics.
2Volume of moving object
If the heat exchange tube is twisted and bent for compact design, then the device compactness is improved, but the service life is reduced due to corrosion in bent sections
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of twisting the entire tube for compactness, the patent inverts the approach by using a predominantly straight tube with a localized protruding bent section. This maintains compact design through the protrusion while eliminating the extensive torsion sections that cause corrosion and reduce service life.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by concentrating the bending only in a small protruding section at the end of the tube, while the majority of the tube remains straight. This localized bending achieves spatial compactness without subjecting the entire tube to stress and corrosion-prone twisted configurations.
3Device complexity
If the heat exchange tube has a conventional twisted configuration, then the structural complexity is reduced, but dust and moisture accumulation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional wisdom that twisted configurations are simpler. By using a straight tube with a single protruding bent section, it actually reduces structural complexity while simultaneously eliminating the accumulation problems that plague twisted designs. The simpler straight configuration with minimal bending proves less complex than extensive twisting.
Data Source
AI summary
A heat exchanger includes a header and a plurality of heat exchange tubes. The header includes a first tube and a second tube spaced apart from each other. The heat exchange tube includes a first section, a processing section and a second section. The processing section is connected between the first section and the second section. A processing method for a heat exchanger includes: twisting the processing section relative to the first section and the second section in a length direction of the first tube; bending the first section and the second section relative to the processing section; and pushing the processing section by a predetermined distance in the same direction as a direction in which the processing section is twisted.