COOLING STRUCTURE
A panel for forming a heat exchanger structure includes a first end; a second end; a first side to connect to another adjacent panel; a second side to connect to an adjacent panel; a first surface between the first and second ends and the first and second sides; a second surface between the first and second ends and the first and second sides; and a circular flow passage extending from the first end to the second end, wherein the panel is an extruded monolithic structure.
1 . A panel for forming a heat exchanger structure, the panel comprising:
a first end;
a second end;
a first side to connect to an adjacent panel;
a second side to connect to another adjacent panel;
a first surface between the first and second ends and the first and second sides;
a second surface between the first and second ends and the first and second sides; and
a circular flow passage extending from the first end to the second end, wherein the panel is an extruded monolithic structure.
2 . The panel of claim 1 , wherein the first side is complementary to the second side so that a plurality of panels can be connected together at the sides.
3 . The panel of claim 1 , wherein the circular flow passage is in line with the panel equally between the first surface and the second surface.
4 . The panel of claim 1 , wherein the circular flow passage is recessed from the panel so that the first surface is smooth and the second surface includes the flow passage.
5 . The panel of claim 1 , wherein the extruded monolithic structure is aluminum.
6 . The panel of claim 1 , wherein the flow passage is located equidistant between the first side and the second side.
7 . The panel of claim 1 , wherein the panel is a curved segment.
8 . A heat exchanger structure comprising:
a plurality of monolithic extrusion panels connected together, each monolithic extrusion panel comprising:
a first end;
a second end;
a first side to connect to an adjacent panel;
a second side to connect to another adjacent panel;
a first surface between the first and second ends and the first and second sides;
a second surface between the first and second ends and the first and second sides; and
a circular flow passage extending from the first end to the second end; and
a plurality of headers connecting the plurality of flow passages to form a flow path through the plurality of flow passages, wherein all flow passages are parallel to each other when the plurality of panels are attached.
9 . The structure of claim 8 , wherein each of the extrusion panels is aluminum.
10 . The structure of claim 8 , wherein the first side of each extrusion panel is complementary to the second side of each extrusion panel.
11 . The structure of claim 8 , wherein the extrusion panels are welded together at the sides.
12 . The structure of claim 8 , wherein the circular flow passage in each of the extrusion panels is in line with the extrusion panel equally between the first surface and the second surface.
13 . The structure of claim 8 , wherein the circular flow passage in each of the extrusion panels is recessed from the extrusion panel so that the first surface of each of the extrusion panels is smooth and the second surface of each of the extrusion panels includes a flow passage.
14 . The structure of claim 8 , wherein the headers connect alternating pairs of the plurality of flow passages.
15 . The structure of claim 8 , wherein each of the extrusion panels is a curved segment.
16 . The structure of claim 8 , wherein the flow path through the plurality of flow passages is serpentine.
17 . A method of forming a heat exchanger structure comprising:
forming a plurality of extrusion panels, each panel extruded as a monolithic part with a first end, a second end, a first side to connect to an adjacent panel, a second side to connect to another adjacent panel, a first surface between the first and second ends and the first and second sides, a second surface between the first and second ends and the first and second sides, and a circular flow passage extending from the first end to the second end; and
joining the plurality of extrusion panels together by connecting the first side of a panel to the second side of the adjacent panel; and
joining the flow passages of each panel together with a plurality of headers to form a flow path through the plurality of flow passages.
18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the step of forming a plurality of extrusion panels comprises forming each of the extrusion panels so that the first surface is smooth and the second surface contains the flow passage.
19 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the step of forming a plurality of extrusion panels comprises forming each extrusion panel so that the flow passage extends into both the first surface and the second surface.
20 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the step of joining the plurality of extrusion panels together comprises welding the sides of the plurality of panels together.