CLADDED BRAZED ALLOY TUBE FOR SYSTEM COMPONENTS
A heat exchanger includes at least one hairpin tube and at least one fin. The hairpin tube may be made of metal and may be cladded in a braze alloy. A heat exchanger includes at least one hairpin tube formed by rolling and securing a sheet of a metal into a cylindrical shape, and at least one fin. The hairpin tube may be cladded in a braze alloy and the sheet of metal may include enhancements formed by surface treatment. A method for forming a heat exchanger includes cladding hairpin tubes with a braze alloy, positioning fins to engage the braze alloy and forming a metallurgic bond between the fins and hairpin tubes by heat treating.
1 . A heat exchanger for use in a heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system, the heat exchanger comprising:
at least one hairpin tube; and
at least one fin;
wherein the hairpin tube is made of a metal; and
wherein the hairpin tube is cladded in a braze alloy.
2 . The heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein the braze alloy is sprayed onto the hairpin tube.
3 . The heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein the hairpin tube is formed by rolling and securing a sheet of material into a cylindrical shape.
4 . The heat exchanger of claim 3 , wherein the braze alloy is mechanically coupled to a sheet of the metal to form the sheet of material.
5 . The heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein the hairpin tube is formed by extrusion.
6 . The heat exchanger of claim 5 , wherein the braze alloy is mechanically coupled to the hairpin tube after extrusion.
7 . The heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein the metal is a heat treatable alloy.
8 . The heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein the braze alloy has a lower melting temperature than the metal.
9 . The heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein the braze alloy is formed of one of the following: zinc, aluminum, and silicon.
10 . The heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein the hairpin tube has a diameter less than 0.325 inches.
11 . A heat exchanger for use in a heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system, the heat exchanger comprising:
at least one hairpin tube formed by rolling and securing a sheet of a metal into a cylindrical shape; and
at least one fin;
wherein the hairpin tube is cladded in a braze alloy, and
wherein the sheet of the metal comprises enhancements formed by surface treatment.
12 . The heat exchanger of claim 11 , wherein the braze alloy is sprayed onto the hairpin tube.
13 . The heat exchanger of claim 11 , wherein the braze alloy is mechanically coupled to the hairpin tube.
14 . The heat exchanger of claim 11 , wherein the enhancements comprise of liner trenches.
15 . The heat exchanger of claim 11 , wherein the enhancements comprise of crosshatched trenches.
16 . The heat exchanger of claim 11 , wherein the enhancements comprise of wavy trenches.
17 . The heat exchanger of claim 11 , wherein the metal is a heat treatable alloy.
18 . The heat exchanger of claim 11 , wherein the braze alloy has a lower melting temperature than the metal.
19 . A method for forming a heat exchanger for use in a heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system, the method comprising:
cladding hairpin tubes with a braze alloy;
positioning fins to engage the braze alloy; and
forming a metallurgic bond between the fins and hairpin tubes by heat treating.
20 . The method of claim 19 , further comprising:
mechanically surface treating a interior surface of the hairpin tubes to form enhancements.