Heat exchanger core and corrugated rib

Abstract

A heat exchanger core with the front substantially vertical and facing cooling air flow, with at least one row of flat tubes through which a liquid or gas flows, and corrugated ribs arranged in between the flat tubes. The ribs have wave flanks defining channels, each channel being for cooling air flow between an air inlet on the front of the core and an air outlet on the rear of the core. The wave flanks are at an angle β which is oblique to the core front and rear whereby the air inlet of each channel is offset relative to the corresponding air outlet. The wave flanks may also be a single arc. Corrugated ribs with wave flanks having an oblique slope angle relative to the edges of the metal sheet and louvers protruding from the plane of the wave flanks may also be included.

1 . A heat exchanger core, said heat exchanger core being oriented with the front substantially vertical and facing cooling air flow, said core comprising: 
 at least one row of flat tubes through which a liquid or gas flows;    corrugated ribs arranged in between said flat tubes, said ribs having wave flanks defining channels, each channel being for cooling air flow between an air inlet on the front of said core and an air outlet on the rear of said core;    wherein said wave flanks are at an angle β which is oblique to said core front and rear whereby said air inlet of each channel is offset relative to the corresponding air outlet.    
   
   
       2 . The heat exchanger core of  claim 1 , wherein said wave flanks are substantially planar, and further comprising louvers in a significant section of the wave flanks protruding from the plane of the flank.  
   
   
       3 . The heat exchanger core of  claim 2 , wherein said louvers have an angle of bending defining protrusions in a common direction from the wave flank plane, said angle of bending of each louver being substantially the same.  
   
   
       4 . The heat exchanger core of  claim 2 , wherein said louvers have an angle of bending defining protrusions in opposite directions from the wave flank plane whereby half of the louvers are sloped in the direction of cooling air flow and the other half are sloped against the cooling air direction, said angle of bending of each louver being substantially the same.  
   
   
       5 . The heat exchanger core of  claim 2 , further comprising a connector having edges bent at an angle corresponding to angle of bending of said louvers, said connector being substantially in the center of the section of the wave flanks having louvers.  
   
   
       6 . The heat exchanger core of  claim 1 , wherein the surface of the wave flanks is substantially flat.  
   
   
       7 . The heat exchanger core of  claim 1 , wherein said wave flanks have a curved contour between said air inlet and air outlet.  
   
   
       8 . A corrugated rib for a heat exchanger core, said corrugated rib being formed by rolling a longitudinally extending metal sheet and comprising wave flanks defining cooling flow channels therebetween, whereby said wave flanks have an oblique slope angle relative to the edges of the metal sheet and further comprising louvers protruding from the plane of the wave flanks.  
   
   
       9 . The corrugated rib of  claim 8 , wherein the surfaces of the wave flanks are substantially flat.  
   
   
       10 . The corrugated rib of  claim 8 , wherein the surfaces of the wave flanks are a contour consisting of a single arc.  
   
   
       11 . The corrugated rib of  claim 8 , wherein the louvers comprise fields of louvers arranged generally parallel and close to each other.  
   
   
       12 . A heat exchanger core, said heat exchanger core being oriented with the front substantially vertical and facing cooling air flow, said core comprising: 
 at least one row of flat tubes through which a liquid or gas flows;    corrugated ribs arranged in between said flat tubes, said ribs having wave flanks defining channels, each channel being for cooling air flow between an air inlet on the front of said core and an air outlet on the rear of said core;    wherein said air inlet of each channel is aligned relative to the corresponding air outlet with the wave flanks between such inlets and outlets having a contour consisting of a single arc.    
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising louvers protruding from the surface of the wave flank in a significant section of the wave flanks.