Micro-Channel Heat Exchanger Bending Assembly for Fin Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional micro-channel heat exchangers experience fin deformation, such as inverted fins and tearing, when bent to increase heat exchange area, leading to obstructed airflow and reduced heat exchange performance.
Innovation Solution
A micro-channel heat exchanger design featuring a bending assembly with strip-shaped members and ribs, including through holes and base plates, that allows smooth airflow and prevents fin deformation by distributing stress evenly during bending.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If the micro-channel heat exchanger is bent to increase heat exchange area, then the heat exchange area is increased, but fin deformation occurs leading to obstructed airflow and reduced heat exchange performance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-forming creases in the bending members before the bending process. These pre-formed creases create predetermined bending zones that guide the deformation during the bending operation, preventing uncontrolled fin deformation while enabling the necessary curvature to increase heat exchange area.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces bending members as intermediary components between the flat pipes and the bending process. These bending members with pre-formed creases act as mediators that distribute and control the bending stress, preventing direct transmission of deformation forces to the fins while still achieving the required bend for increased heat exchange area.
2Area of stationary object
If the micro-channel heat exchanger is bent to increase heat exchange area, then the heat exchange area is increased, but the appearance is seriously influenced due to fin stretching and tearing
Solution Approach 1:
The pre-formed creases in the bending members prepare the structure in advance for controlled bending. This preliminary action ensures that when bending occurs, the deformation follows predetermined paths that maintain the aesthetic appearance of the fins while still achieving the necessary curvature for increased heat exchange area.
Solution Approach 2:
The bending members serve as intermediary elements that absorb and distribute the bending stresses. By placing these members at strategic locations, the patent prevents direct stress transmission to the fins during bending, thereby avoiding stretching and tearing that would compromise appearance while still enabling the heat exchanger to be bent for increased surface area.
3Reliability
If sheet metal parts are used to replace corrugated fins in the bending part, then the problems of inverted fins and distortion are solved, but the surface area is greatly decreased causing loss to heat exchange performance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses bending members with pre-formed creases as intermediary components that preserve the corrugated fin structure in the bending region. These members act as supports that maintain the structural integrity of the fins during bending while preserving their corrugated geometry, thereby maintaining heat exchange surface area unlike solid sheet metal replacements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the geometric parameters of the bending members by incorporating pre-formed creases with specific angles and positions. This parameter change allows the bending members to flex during bending operations while maintaining sufficient surface area and structural integrity, resolving the contradiction between fin integrity and heat exchange area preservation.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention discloses a novel micro-channel heat exchanger, comprising header pipes, a plurality of first flat pipes and fins, and further comprising a bending region formed by bending the header pipes, wherein second flat pipes and a bending assembly are provided in the bending region, the second flat pipes are connected between adjacent header pipes, the bending assembly is distributed between adjacent second flat pipes, and air is capable of passing through the bending assembly to circulate. On the premise that the performance of the heat exchanger is guaranteed, the present invention well solves the problem of fin deformation caused when the heat exchanger is bent along a length direction of the header pipes.