Compact heat exchanger

Abstract

A heat exchanger includes at least two tanks containing a medium to be temperature treated and a plurality of heat exchange tubes extending between the at least two tanks. The heat exchange tubes have exterior surface areas at least partially defining a heat exchange area. A set of cooling fins is located between the heat exchange tubes of the plurality of heat exchange tubes to increase the heat exchange area. The fins are configured to define a plurality of non-straight line paths for the flow of air across the heat exchanger. The non-straight line paths force the flow of air across the heat exchange to change direction and cause impingement of the air onto the fins and tubes as well as turbulence for increasing heat transfer performance.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A heat exchanger comprising:
 at least two tanks containing a medium to be temperature treated;   a plurality of heat exchange tubes extending between the at least two tanks, the heat exchange tubes having exterior surface areas at least partially defining a heat exchange area; and   a set of cooling fins located between the heat exchange tubes of the plurality of heat exchange tubes to increase the heat exchange area, the fins configured to define a plurality of non-straight line paths for the flow of air across the heat exchanger;   wherein the non-straight line paths force the flow of air across the heat exchange to change direction and cause impingement of the air onto the fins and tubes as well as turbulence for increasing heat transfer performance.   
     
     
         2 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger is an automotive engine cooling radiator. 
     
     
         3 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger is an HVAC heat exchanger. 
     
     
         4 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger is a heater core. 
     
     
         5 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger is an industrial or residential heat exchanger including but not limited to heating, cooling and refrigeration. 
     
     
         6 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein the fin has a wavy shape disposed at an angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the fin. 
     
     
         7 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein the fin has a wavy shape bent into different sections at different angles with respect to the longitudinal axis of the fin. 
     
     
         8 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein the fin is formed with a wavy shape similar to typical heat exchanger fin but bent into a curved shape with respect to the longitudinal axis of the fin. 
     
     
         9 . The heat exchanger of  claim 5  wherein heat transfer is further enhanced by providing louvers and/or perforations on the flanks of the fin to further increase turbulence and heat transfer. 
     
     
         10 . A machine for making a fin of a heat exchanger, the machine comprising:
 a set of meshing gears in order for imprinting a wavy pattern onto a metal strip and thus generating a wavy fin, the gears having teeth shaped in one of an angular or curved fashion, such as helical, double helical, multiple helical, hypoid or any other type of gears necessary to provide a non-straight line path for the airflow moving across the fin.   
     
     
         11 . The machine of  claim 9 , wherein the fin machine uses a combination of gear and rack instead of two gears to generate the fin. 
     
     
         12 . An adjustable compression fin for a fin and tube heat exchanger characterized by having elastic flanks that allow the fin to change its height under compression, therefore ensuring a good contact between the fin and the tube without having to specify very tight tolerances for the distance between tubes in the heat exchanger. 
     
     
         13 . The fin of  claim 11 , wherein the flanks are curved in order to facilitate predictable buckling and bending under compression, thus enhancing the adjustability of the fin. 
     
     
         14 . The fin of  claim 11 , wherein the fin has substantially flat segments at the top and bottom of the fin to provide surface area contact as opposed to line contact with the tubes, thus enhancing heat transfer. 
     
     
         15 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger is an automotive engine cooling radiator with plastic tanks. 
     
     
         16 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger is an automotive engine cooling radiator with metal tanks. 
     
     
         17 . The heat exchanger of  claim 14 , wherein the heat exchanger is an automotive engine cooling radiator that contains a transmission oil cooler or other embedded or integrated heat exchangers such as condenser, steering fluid cooler, brake fluid cooler and others. 
     
     
         18 . The heat exchanger of  claim 16 , wherein the embedded transmission oil cooler is an all-metal heat exchanger that is integral to the radiator and is formed by simultaneous brazing of the radiator and the transmission oil cooler, without the transmission oil cooler requiring a separate brazing process. 
     
     
         19 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , which is made completely of metal, such as a brazeable aluminum alloy.