Heat Exchanger and Header for the Same
A header for a heat exchanger includes a first and a second cylindrical fluid manifold extending in parallel. Each of the first and second manifolds have tube slots that extend through an arcuate wall section of the manifold. A thickened wall section of the header having a generally triangular wall section is bounded by the first and second fluid manifolds and by a planar outer surface of the header. An aperture extends through the thickened wall section to provide a fluid communication pathway between the first and second cylindrical fluid manifolds.
1 . A heat exchanger comprising:
a first plurality of flat tubes to convey a first fluid through the heat exchanger;
a second plurality of flat tubes to convey a second fluid through the heat exchanger;
a first header arranged at an end of the heat exchanger, the first header including a first cylindrical fluid manifold having a plurality of tube slots extending through a first arcuate wall section of the first header, a second cylindrical fluid manifold extending parallel and adjacent to the first cylindrical fluid manifold having a plurality of tube slots extending through a second arcuate wall section of the first header, and a thickened wall section bounded by the first cylindrical fluid manifold, the second cylindrical fluid manifold, and a planar outer surface of the first header, the thickened wall section having a generally triangular cross-section; and
a second header arranged at an opposing end of the heat exchanger, the second header including a third cylindrical fluid manifold having a plurality of tube slots extending through a first arcuate wall section of the second header, a fourth cylindrical fluid manifold extending parallel and adjacent to the third cylindrical fluid manifold having a plurality of tube slots extending through a second arcuate wall section of the second header, and a thickened wall section bounded by the third cylindrical fluid manifold, the fourth cylindrical fluid manifold, and a planar outer surface of the second header, the thickened wall section having a generally triangular cross-section;
wherein tube ends of the first plurality of tubes are received through the tube slots extending through the first arcuate wall sections of both the first and second header, and wherein tube ends of the second plurality of flat tubes are received through the second arcuate wall sections of both the first and second headers.
2 . The heat exchanger of claim 1 , further comprising a third plurality of flat tubes to convey the first fluid through the heat exchanger, the first header additionally including a fifth cylindrical fluid manifold extending parallel and adjacent to the first cylindrical fluid manifold having a plurality of tube slots extending through a third arcuate wall section of the first header, and the second header additionally including a sixth cylindrical fluid manifold extending parallel and adjacent to the third cylindrical fluid manifold having a plurality of tube slots extending through a third arcuate wall section of the second header, the first header having another thickened wall section with a generally triangular cross-section bounded by the first fluid manifold, the fifth fluid manifold, and the planar outer surface of the first header, and the second header having another thickened wall section with a generally triangular cross-section bounded by the third fluid manifold, the sixth fluid manifold, and the planar outer surface of the second header.
3 . The heat exchanger of claim 2 , wherein the first and the third pluralities of tubes define two sequentially arranged flow passages through the heat exchanger for the first fluid.
4 . The heat exchanger of claim 2 , wherein the second header includes an aperture extending through the thickened wall section between the third fluid manifold and the sixth fluid manifold in order to fluidly couple the first and the third pluralities of tubes.
5 . The heat exchanger of claim 4 , wherein the first header includes an aperture extending through the thickened wall section between the first fluid manifold and the fifth fluid manifold in order to fluidly couple the first and the third pluralities of tubes.
6 . The heat exchanger of claim 2 , wherein the tubes of the first plurality of tubes are hydraulically in parallel with the tubes of the third plurality of tubes.
7 . The heat exchanger of claim 1 , further comprising a third plurality of flat tubes to convey a fluid through the heat exchanger, the first header additionally including a fifth cylindrical fluid manifold extending concentrically with the first cylindrical fluid manifold having a plurality of tube slots extending through the first arcuate wall section of the first header, and the second header additionally including a sixth cylindrical fluid manifold extending concentrically with the third cylindrical fluid manifold having a plurality of tube slots extending through the first arcuate wall section of the second header, the first header having another thickened wall section with a generally triangular cross-section bounded by the fifth fluid manifold, the second fluid manifold, and the planar outer surface of the first header, and the second header having another thickened wall section with a generally triangular cross-section bounded by the sixth fluid manifold, the fourth fluid manifold, and the planar outer surface of the second header.
8 . The heat exchanger of claim 7 , wherein the third fluid manifold and the sixth fluid manifold are in direct fluid communication with one another so that the first fluid flows sequentially through the first and the third pluralities of tubes.
9 . The heat exchanger of claim 7 , wherein the second header includes an aperture extending through the thickened wall section between the fourth fluid manifold and the sixth fluid manifold in order to fluidly couple the second and the third pluralities of tubes.
10 . The heat exchanger of claim 9 , further comprising a plug inserted into an opening extending through the planar outer surface to the aperture.
11 . The heat exchanger of claim 9 , wherein the first header includes an aperture extending through the thickened wall section between the second fluid manifold and the fifth fluid manifold in order to fluidly couple the second and the third pluralities of tubes.
12 . The heat exchanger of claim 11 , further comprising a first plug inserted into an opening extending through the planar outer surface of the first header to the aperture in the first header, and a second plug inserted into an opening extending through the planar outer surface of the second header to the aperture in the second header.
13 . A header for a heat exchanger, comprising:
a plurality of parallel arranged cylindrical fluid manifolds;
a plurality of arcuate wall sections having a constant wall thickness, each of the arcuate wall sections corresponding to one of the plurality of cylindrical fluid manifolds and each having a plurality of tube slots extending through the constant wall thickness to the corresponding fluid manifold; and
one or more thickened wall sections bounded by two adjacent ones of the plurality of cylindrical fluid manifolds and a planar outer surface of the header, the one or more thickened wall sections each having a generally triangular cross-section.
14 . The header of claim 13 , further comprising one or more apertures extending through the one or more thickened wall sections to provide a fluid communication pathway between those cylindrical fluid manifolds bounding the one or more thickened wall sections.
15 . The header of claim 14 , further comprising one or more plugs in one-to-one correspondence with the one or more apertures, each plug inserted into an opening extending through the planar outer surface to the corresponding aperture.
16 . The header of claim 15 , wherein a portion of each of the one or more plugs is brazed to the outer planar surface.
17 . The header of claim 15 , wherein at least some of said plugs includes a mounting pin integral with the plug and extending outwardly from the header in a direction perpendicular to the planar outer surface.
18 . The header of claim 15 , wherein an insertion depth of each of the one or more plugs is equal to the constant wall thickness of the arcuate wall sections.
19 . The header of claim 13 , further comprising:
a first mounting flange extending from the header and defining a first mounting plane;
a first mounting hole extending through the first mounting flange;
a second mounting flange extending from the header and defining a second mounting plane parallel to the first mounting plane; and
a second mounting hole extending through the second mounting flange and aligned with the first mounting hole, wherein the first and second mounting planes are oriented perpendicular to the planar outer surface of the header.
20 . The header of claim 19 , wherein the plurality of parallel arranged cylindrical fluid manifolds is entirely located between the first and second mounting planes.