Heat exchanger with expanded metal turbulizer

Abstract

A heat exchanger incorporating a turbulizer or heat transfer surface wherein the turbulizer is a corrugated member having parallel spaced-apart ridges and planar portions extending therebetween. The heat transfer surface has a plurality of micro-openings formed over at least a portion of its surface so as to create a uniform porosity over the portions of the turbulizer in which they are provided.

1 . A heat exchanger, comprising:
 a tubular member having first and second spaced-apart walls defining a fluid flow passage therebetween, the tubular member having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, said fluid inlet and fluid outlet being spaced-apart from each other thereby defining a flow direction from the fluid inlet to the fluid outlet for the flow of a first fluid through said fluid flow passage;   a corrugated heat transfer surface located in said flow passage, the heat transfer surface including parallel spaced-apart ridges with planar portions extending therebetween, alternating ridges being in contact with said first and second spaced apart walls, said corrugated heat transfer surface having a plurality of micro-openings which define porous areas of said corrugated heat transfer surface, said porous areas being located in at least said planar portions, said porous areas having a substantially uniform porosity, and said ridges being oriented perpendicular to the flow direction within said flow passage.   
   
   
       2 . A heat exchanger as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the planar portions are inclined with respect to the spaced-apart walls. 
   
   
       3 . A heat exchanger as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the planar portions are perpendicular with respect to said spaced-apart walls. 
   
   
       4 . A heat exchanger as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the micro-openings are formed in a shape selected from the group consisting of an expanded pie-shape and a diamond shape. 
   
   
       6 . A heat exchanger as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the ridges are imperforate surfaces, said micro-openings being formed only in said planar portions of said heat transfer surface. 
   
   
       7 . A heat exchanger as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said micro-openings are formed over the entire surface of said heat transfer surface, including said planar portions and said ridges. 
   
   
       8 . A heat exchanger as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the porosity of said porous areas of said heat transfer surface is in the range of about 50% to about 80%. 
   
   
       9 . A heat exchanger as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said micro-openings have an average area within a range from about 0.2 mm 2  to about 3 mm 2 . 
   
   
       10 . A heat exchanger as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the ridges are curved surfaces. 
   
   
       11 . A heat exchanger as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the ridges are flat surfaces. 
   
   
       12 . A heat exchanger as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the corrugated heat transfer surface includes an imperforate strip along the length thereof dividing said heat transfer surface into first and second regions, said imperforate strip being oriented perpendicular to said parallel spaced-apart ridges, with said porous areas being provided on both sides of said imperforate strip. 
   
   
       13 . A heat exchanger as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the micro-openings in said first region are oriented in a first direction and the micro-openings in the second region are oriented in a second direction. 
   
   
       14 . A heat exchanger as claimed in  claim 1 , comprising a plurality of stacked tubular members. 
   
   
       15 . A heat exchanger as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein said plurality of stacked tubular members are formed by mating plate pairs. 
   
   
       16 . A heat exchanger as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein each plate pair comprises an upper plate and a lower plate, each plate having a raised central portion and a peripheral edge, the peripheral edges of the upper and lower plates being joined together when said upper and lower plates placed in back-to-back relationship, each plate having respective end portions formed with raised end bosses defining inlet and outlet openings, the respective inlet and outlet openings of each plate pair communicating with each other when said plate pairs are stacked together to form manifolds.