Welded Segmented Flat Tube Structure for Easier Multi-Channel Manufacturing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Manufacturing flat tubes with multiple rows of hole channels is challenging due to high requirements for extrusion molds and technology, making it difficult to produce heat exchangers with improved heat exchange efficiency.
Innovation Solution
The flat tube is divided into two separate tube bodies with hole channels, allowing for separate processing and welding, reducing manufacturing complexity and enhancing strength through controlled wall thickness and channel alignment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple rows of hole channels are provided in the flat tube to increase contact area, then heat exchange effect is improved, but manufacturing difficulty increases due to high requirements for extrusion mold and technology
Solution Approach 1:
The flat tube is divided into multiple separate tube bodies (first tube body, second tube body, etc.), each containing one or more hole channels. These separate tube bodies are then welded together to form the complete multi-channel structure. This segmentation allows each tube body to be manufactured independently with simpler extrusion molds, while still achieving the desired multiple rows of hole channels for improved heat exchange.
2Reliability
If the flat tube is formed by extrusion with multiple rows of hole channels, then heat exchange performance is improved, but the requirements for extrusion mold and extrusion technology become higher
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of extruding a complex multi-channel structure in a single piece, the invention segments the structure into multiple simpler tube bodies that can be extruded separately with lower precision requirements. The segmentation converts a high-precision single-step extrusion problem into multiple lower-precision extrusion steps followed by welding.
Solution Approach 2:
The tube bodies are prepared in advance as separate components with their hole channels already formed during individual extrusion processes. This preliminary action allows for better control of each extrusion step and simplifies the overall manufacturing process by breaking down the complex geometry into manageable segments that can be pre-fabricated and then assembled.
3Ease of manufacture
If the flat tube is divided into multiple tube bodies that are welded and fixed, then manufacturing convenience is improved, but structural integrity under high internal pressure must be maintained
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple separate tube bodies are merged together through welding to form a unified multi-channel structure. The welding process combines the individual tube bodies into a single integrated component that can withstand high internal pressures, while retaining the manufacturing advantages of segmented fabrication.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention creates a composite structure where multiple tube bodies are joined together to form a stronger, more complex component than any single tube body could provide alone. The composite structure maintains structural integrity under high pressure while enabling simpler manufacturing of individual components.
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
This approach simplifies manufacturing, enhances strength, and improves heat exchange performance by increasing contact area between fluid and tube, while maintaining structural integrity under high internal pressures.
Implementation Method 1
the first wall of the first tube body is welded and fixed to the second wall of the second tube body
Data Source
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Figure 6
AI summary
A flat tube, a heat exchange core and a heat exchanger. The flat tube comprises a tube body, wherein the tube body comprises at least a first tube body and a second tube body; the first tube body is provided with a plurality of first hole channels, each of which extends in the length direction of the tube body, the plurality of first hole channels being arranged in the width direction of the first tube body; the second tube body is provided with a plurality of second hole channels, each of which extends in the length direction of the tube body, the plurality of second hole channels being arranged in the width direction of the second tube body; in the thickness direction of the first tube body, the first tube body is provided with a first wall; in the thickness direction of the second tube body, the second tube body is provided with a second wall; and the first wall of the first tube body and the second wall of the second tube body are arranged opposite each other, and the first wall of the first tube body is welded and fixed to the second wall of the second tube body. The tube body is divided into a first tube body having first hole channels and a second tube body having second hole channels, such that the first tube body and the second tube body are separately machined and formed so as to be welded and fixed, thereby reducing the difficulty of manufacturing the flat tube.