Heat exchanger with dummy tubes

Abstract

Heat exchanger comprising a pair of headers and a plurality of parallel and coplanar tubes interconnecting the headers, wherein each header comprises a header plate provided with a plurality of slots, in each of which an end of a respective tube is fitted, and wherein the heat exchanger is configured to prevent fluid from flowing into at least one tube, hereinafter dummy tube, arranged at a boundary between functionally different sections of the heat exchanger. The slot of the header plate which receives the end of the respective dummy tube is formed as a blind recess in the header plate.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A heat exchanger comprising a pair of headers and a plurality of parallel and coplanar tubes interconnecting the headers, wherein each header comprises a header plate provided with a plurality of slots, in each of which an end of a respective tube is fitted, and wherein the heat exchanger is configured to prevent fluid from flowing into at least one tube, hereinafter dummy tube, arranged at a boundary between functionally different sections of the heat exchanger, wherein the slot of the header plate which receives the end of the respective dummy tube is formed as a blind recess on the header plate, the end of the respective dummy tube being closed by an integral portion of the header plate. 
     
     
         2 . A method for manufacturing a header plate for a heat exchanger as claimed in  claim 1 , comprising the following steps:
 subjecting a plate to a forming operation so as to produce a plurality of deformed areas on the plate, each of which defines a blind recess, and   subjecting the plate to a material removal operation so as to produce through-apertures in the deformed areas of the plate, the deformed areas which have the through-apertures constituting the slots intended to receive the ends of respective tubes of the heat exchanger,   wherein the material removal operation in one or more of the deformed areas which constitute the slots intended to receive the ends of respective dummy tubes is omitted.   
     
     
         3 . The method as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein said forming operation comprises a deep-drawing operation. 
     
     
         4 . The method as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein said material removal operation comprises a punching operation.