Abstract: A method of providing volume production of highly pressure resistant headers (10), (12) is provided and allows the headers (10), (12) to be formed of a header structure (10), (12) with a relatively thin wall portion (32) and a relatively thick wall portion (30). A strip (40) is utilized to provide the desired thickness at the thin wall portion (32) while allowing both the thin wall portion (32) and the strip (40) to have tube slots (34), (42) formed therein by a one step punching operation.

Abstract: A burner and fan enclosure for an infrared heater includes a low pressure housing 10 with an internal high pressure housing 24. A centrifugal fan 39 is located within the low pressure housing 10 and provides combustion air to the high pressure housing 24. Removable side panels 20,22 for the low pressure housing 10 may be removed for servicing and/or adjustment of the unit without affecting combustion characteristics allowing the unit to be adjusted while in operation.

Abstract: An integrated unit (10) in a refrigeration system (100) wherein a low-pressure conduit (18) and high-pressure conduit (36) are in conductive heat exchange relation to each other within an accumulator housing (12). The low pressure conduit (18) and high-pressure conduit (36) may be flat tubes wherein broad sides of the flat tubes are in conductive heat exchange relation to each other. The low-pressure conduit (18) and high-pressure conduit (36) or tubes have longitudinal axes (40, 42, respectively) that extend parallel to one another over a length (44) within the integrated unit (10).

Abstract: A compact heat exchanger system including a radial fan directing air flow outwardly away from the fan axis and a plurality of heat exchangers disposed around the radial fan. At least two of the heat exchangers include headers with longitudinal walls extending generally in the same direction as the fan axis with one of the heat exchangers disposed with its outlet header longitudinal wall adjacent the longitudinal wall of the inlet header of a second of the heat exchangers. A flow opening is provided between the adjacent longitudinal walls of the outlet header of the one heat exchanger and the inlet header of the second heat exchanger.

Abstract: A turbulator (60A-60K) is provided for use in the heat exchange units (34) of heat exchangers. The turbulator (60A-60K) includes a sheet (62A, 62C) of material. The sheet (62A, 62C) includes a plurality of strand-like rows (64A, 64C) of alternating crests (66A, 66C) and valleys (68A, 68C). The crests (66A, 66C) and valleys (68A, 68C) in each row (64A, 64C) are offset with respect to the crests (66A, 66C) and valleys (68A, 68C) in any immediately adjacent row (64A, 64C). Each of the rows (64A, 64C) has an interface with any immediately adjacent row (64A, 64C). The interfaces are perforated so that valleys (68A, 68C) in each row (64A, 64C) are in fluid communication with immediately adjacent crests (66A, 66C) in any immediately adjacent row (64A, 64C) and crests (66A, 66C) in each row (64A, 64C) are in fluid communication with any immediately adjacent valleys (68A, 68C) in any immediately adjacent row (64A, 62C).

Abstract: An elongate manifold construction (10) having an longitudinal axis (20) is provided for use in a heat exchanger (12) having a plurality of tubes (14). The manifold construction (10) includes an elongated tank piece (3 2) and an elongated header piece (34). A plurality of embossed beads (48) having openings (50) therein that are engaged by tabs (52) spaced along the longitudinal axis (20) to maintain the tank and header pieces (32, 34) in proper alignment with each other so as to obtain a suitable bond joint therebetween during a bonding operation.

Abstract: A flat tube block heat exchanger with a plurality of flat tubes with deformed ends. The deformed ends have broad sides that have been deformed to expose the inner surface of the flat tubes. The exposed inner surfaces of the flat tubes are bonded to the exposed inner surface of an adjacent flat tube. The bonded inner surfaces of the adjacent flat tubes form a fluid barrier with tanks located at opposite ends of the flat tubes.

Abstract: A cooler for an electrical component, including a pressure-tight vessel enclosing the electrical component and including a support plate above the electrical component, a bath of electrically insulating and evaporating liquid surrounding the electrical component within the vessel, a flow channel for cooling liquid on the support plate, and a heat exchange element. The heat exchange element includes a serpentine plate having generally horizontally extending and aligned flanks alternately connected along horizontally extending upper and lower edges, with the lower edges being connected by connectors spaced along the horizontally extending edges and the upper edges being connected by horizontally extending crests secured to the flow channel for heat conduction therebetween. The flow channel may define a U-shaped path with two channel legs connected at one end, with a cooling liquid inlet connected to one of the channel legs and a cooling liquid outlet connected to the other of the channel legs.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for drying the surface of a heat exchanger in a vehicle of moisture accumulating as a result of its use as an evaporator in an air conditioning system. Air is first heated by the heater core in the air conditioning system and then directed through the heat exchanger. Because of the reduced humidity of such air, any residual moisture in the heat exchanger is evaporated and is discharged to the environment. Where the system is used in a vehicle, it prevents the discharge of moist air onto the windows and/or windshield of the vehicle and thus minimizes or eliminates fogging of the windshield.

Abstract: A vaporizer, a fuel cell system including the vaporizer, and a method of vaporizing fuel in a fuel cell system are disclosed. The fuel cell system includes a fuel reservoir (24) for storing a liquid fuel and a fuel cell (10) for consuming a fuel and generating electricity therefrom. A fuel vaporizer (28) is interposed between the fuel reservoir (24) and the fuel cell (10) for receiving liquid fuel and vaporizing it and delivering it ultimately to the fuel cell (10). The fuel vaporizer (28) includes a heat exchanger which includes a hot fluid inlet (65), a hot fluid outlet (67) and a core (50) interconnecting the inlet (65) and the outlet (68). The core (50) has alternating fuel flow structures (68) and hot fluid structures (69) with the fuel flow structures (68,69) having an inlet (56) and an outlet (58).

Abstract: A heat exchanger for enabling the flow of a heat exchanging medium disclosed. The heat exchanger comprises a collecting box having a peripheral edge; a tube bottom having a peripheral edge and a plurality of openings, the peripheral edge of the tube bottom being coupled to a peripheral edge of the collecting box; an intermediate bottom having a plurality of openings and a peripheral edge, the peripheral edge coupled to the peripheral edge of the tube bottom; and a plurality of flat tubes coupled to the plurality of openings in the intermediate bottom. A method of manufacturing a heat exchanger is also disclosed. The method comprising the steps of coupling a collecting box to a tube bottom; coupling an intermediate bottom to the tube bottom; and coupling a plurality of flat tubes to the intermediate bottom.

Abstract: An economically formed tube of rectangular or oval-like cross section and with a corrugated internal fin includes spaced, relatively long side wall sections joined at their ends by relatively short end wall sections. An integral fin within the tube has crests and valleys defining a plurality of flow paths within the tube and is formed of a corrugated section of a strip employed to form one of the side walls and at least part of both of the end walls.

Abstract: A self-fixturing fan shroud (12) for use with a heat exchanger assembly (13), the heat exchanger assembly (13) includes an upper horizontal surface (16), a lower, upwardly opening, horizontal channel (18), and at least one core (14 or 15) extending between the upper horizontal surface (16) and the channel (18). Each of the cores (14 and 15) has a front face (24), a back face (26), and air flow passages extending from the front face (24) to the back face (26). The fan shroud (12) comprises a covering portion (28) having an opening (30) disposed therethrough. The opening (30) is of a predetermined size sufficient to receive a fan. An upper horizontal flange (38) extends from the covering portion (28) to rest on the upper horizontal surface (16) of the heat exchanger assembly (13) to vertically locate the fan shroud (12) relative to the heat exchanger assembly (13).

Abstract: A heat exchanger (12, 12B, 12C, 12D) usable as an oil cooler is provided for exchanging heat between first and second fluids. The heat exchanger has an outer periphery (112, 156, 58′, 366) spaced from a central axis (56). The heat exchange includes an inlet (42, 378) and an outlet (44, 380) for flow of the first fluid, a pair of juxtaposed tube segments (52, 54) coiled about the central axis (56) to form a plurality of alternating concentric coils (58), an inlet (46) for flow of the second fluid into heat exchanger (12A, 12B, 12C, 12D), an outlet (48) for flow of the second fluid from the heat exchanger (12A, 12B, 12C, 12D), and structure (50) for encapsulating the pair of tube segments (52, 54) to retain the second fluid within the heat exchanger (12A, 12B, 12C, 12D) as it flows from the inlet (46) to the outlet (48). The tube segment (52) has an end (64) connected to the inlet (42) to receive flow of the first fluid therefrom.

Abstract: A serpentine, slit fin (26) is provided for a heat sink device (10) used for cooling a electronic component (12) having a surface (14) that rejects heat. The heat sink (10) includes a plate (16) having first and second surfaces (18, 20), with the first surface (18) configured to receive heat from the surface (14) of the electronic component (12). The fin (26) is bonded to the second surface and includes a plurality of offset sidewall portions (48). In one form, a fan (22) is spaced above the second surface (20) to direct an impingement airflow (24) towards the second surface (20) substantially perpendicular to the second surface (20), and the serpentine, slit fin (26) underlies the fan (22) and is bonded to the second surface (20).

Abstract: A transmission drives a radial fan about a fan axis in a vehicle cooling unit including a plurality of heat exchangers arranged to surround the radial fan to receive a radial air flow therefrom. A driving pulley, a driven pulley, and a idler pulley of the heat exchangers.

Abstract: A turbulator (60A-60K) is provided for use in the heat exchange units (34) of heat exchangers. The turbulator (60A-60K) includes a sheet (62A, 62C) of material. The sheet (62A, 62C) includes a plurality of strand-like rows (64A, 64C) of alternating crests (66A, 66C) and valleys (68A, 68C). The crests (66A, 66C) and valleys (68A, 68C) in each row (64A, 64C) are offset with respect to the crests (66A, 66C) and valleys (68A, 68C ) in any immediately adjacent row (64A, 64C). Each of the rows (64A, 64C) has an interface with any immediately adjacent row (64A, 64C). The interfaces are perforated so that valleys (68A, 68C) in each row (64A, 64C) are in fluid communication with immediately adjacent crests (66A, 66C) in any immediately adjacent row (64A, 64C) and crests (66A, 66C) in each row (64A, 64C) are in fluid communication with any immediately adjacent valleys (68A, 68C) in any immediately adjacent row (64A, 62C).

Abstract: A heat exchanger/evaporator for transferring heat from a first heat exchange fluid to a liquid to be evaporated into a gaseous second heat exchange fluid that includes a thermally conductive element 30 separating a first flow path 34 for the first heat exchange fluid and a second flow path 36 for the second heat exchange fluid. A first surface is on the element 30 in heat exchange relation with the first flow path 34 and a second surface is on the element 30 opposite the first surface and is in heat exchange relation with the second flow path 36. A hydrophilic coating 50 is bonded on part of the second surface and includes a powder of nominally spherically shaped particles including nickel, chromium, aluminum, cobalt and yttrium oxide bonded together with a braze metal predominantly made up of nickel, chromium and silicon and diffused into the nominally spherically shaped particles and the second surface.

Abstract: A compact cooling system includes a mounting panel adapted to receive a plurality of at least three cooling units, a cooling fan, and a fan drive mechanism. The mounting panel supports the fan and drive mechanism in a manner allowing rotation of the fan about the axis of rotation. A front side of the mounting panel is adapted for receiving and supporting the cooling units in a pattern defining a cantilevered, tubular polygonal solid disposed about the fan. The mounting panel includes a convex central region extending into the tubular polygonal solid and receiving the drive mechanism in operative connection to the fan. By virtue of this arrangement, a very compact cooling system is provided. The tubular polygonal shape of the cooling units, when mounted on the mounting panel, forms an air duct for directing a flow of cooling air induced by the fan through the cooling units.

Abstract: Slow production speeds in the manufacture of lanced and offset fins for use in heat exchanger tubes are eliminated through the use of a method of forming the fins involving a plurality of roll assemblies located along a forming path which may operate on a strip of fin forming material of indeterminate length. After being formed, the fin may be cut to any desired length.