Description

Inventors have created a non-waste method of making heat exchange tubes and a special tool for it. The method combines a process of cutting and plastic deformation the surface of blank with creation of fins. The width of the spaces between fins can be varied between units of millimeters and units of micrometers. The method produces no waste and is highly efficient, requires only simple equipment and can be used to make efficient heat exchanging and evaporating surfaces.

Benefits

High productive capacity

The productive capacity of specialized lathe using this method is up to 4 running meters (13.1 running feet) of finned tube per minute for pitch of 0.7 mm (0.0276 inch). The productive capacity of ordinary lathe using the method is 0.7 running meters (2.3 running feet) per minute (for the same pitch). With increasing a pitch productive capacity increases.

Ecological safety

One of the advantages of the method is it doesn't need using of any cooling or lubricating liquid in the process of forming the fins. As a rule using of such liquids creates a lot of ecological problems (necessity of air and liquid purification). Moreover there is no need to wash tube after fin forming.

Versatile

The method can be used on ordinary lathes without any its modernization. To use method one should replace an ordinary cutter by the tool created by inventors.

Efficiency

Method can be used for specific applications, such as producing micro-channels fin surfaces possessing a capillary effect (for heat tubes), producing from sheets the nets, screens, preparing the surfaces of constructional part to apply coatings. The use of the method in comparison with making a finned tubes for heat exchangers by roll forming provides decrease of metal consumption and dimensions of heat exchangers in 1.3-2.0 times. Range of initial wall thickness is 0.5-3.0 mm, minimum residual wall thickness - 0.2 mm. Materials of tube billet are copper, copper-nickel alloys, aluminum alloys, titanium and stainless steel.

Project development

Specially designed installation (on the base of a lathe) is used for production of finned tubes in industrial scale since 1993.

Legal protection of technologies

Russian patent, US patent, EP patent.

Application, commercial use

Air conditioning and refrigerating

The using of this technology for manufacturing evaporators and condensers provides increasing the efficiency of heat transfer in 1.2 - 1.5 times. Such increase of efficiency is possible due to very narrow gap between adjacent fins. So narrow gaps could not be produced any other technology in the same low cost.

Cryogenics

Heat exchange equipment of air separation installations, hydrogen and helium liquefiers.

Heat transfer devices

Technology can be used for producing very long narrow slits capillaries in plate surfaces. Such capillaries are used in heat tubes and provide transfer of bid capacity heat flow.

Filters and wicks

Using the method it's possible to manufacture (from metal sheets) nets for medium and fine fluid filtering. Advantage of these nets is easy regeneration which is impossible in the case of wire gauze.

Related industries

Refrigeration and heating equipment (SIC-3585)
Refrigeration Refrigeration services repair (SIC-7623)
Industrial gases (SIC-2813)
Natural gas liquids (SIC-1321)
Machine tools - Metal forming types (SIC-3542)

Inventors background

One inventor is author of 56 scientific publications and of 20 patents. Other inventor is author of 47 scientific publications and of 15 patents.

Additional

More information is available under CONFIDENTIALITY AGREEMENT. The inventors agree to demonstrate Customer the technology and samples produced by this technology.

Expertise

The invention was awarded by gold medal on 45th world exhibition of invention, research and industrial innovation in Brussels in 1996. There are a number of positive references of leading Russian scientific institutes and universities, for example reference of All-Russian Scientific and Research Institute for Refrigerating Machine and reference of the Institute of Machinery (Russian Academy of Science).

Contact: Salut Technologies West Corp.