Heat exchanger tubes and combo-coolers including the same

Abstract

A heat exchanger tube includes a tube body and a plurality of flow passages defined therein. The tube body includes two opposed sides, and a wall having a thickness that varies between the two opposed sides.

1 . A heat exchanger tube, comprising:
 a tube body, including:
 two opposed sides; and 
 a wall having a thickness that varies between the two opposed sides; and 
   a plurality of flow passages defined in the tube body.   
   
   
       2 . The heat exchanger tube as defined in  claim 1  wherein the tube body has a width measured from one of the two opposed sides to an other of the two opposed sides, and wherein the wall thickness increases along the width extending from each of the two opposed sides toward a predetermined distance from each of the two opposed sides. 
   
   
       3 . The heat exchanger tube as defined in  claim 2  wherein an area of the flow passages decreases as the wall thickness increases. 
   
   
       4 . The heat exchanger tube as defined in  claim 1  wherein the wall thickness is greatest at or near a center of the tube body between the two opposed sides. 
   
   
       5 . The heat exchanger tube as defined in  claim 4  wherein the wall thickness decreases extending from the center to each of the two opposed sides. 
   
   
       6 . The heat exchanger tube as defined in  claim 5  wherein the wall thickness at the center of tube body ranges from about 0.3 mm to about 0.9 mm, and wherein the wall thickness at each of the two opposed sides ranges from about 0.1 mm to about 0.6 mm. 
   
   
       7 . The heat exchanger tube as defined in  claim 5  wherein the wall thickness is symmetric from the center to each of the two opposed sides. 
   
   
       8 . The heat exchanger tube as defined in  claim 1  wherein the wall thickness is consistent adjacent respective flow passages, and varies from at least one of the plurality of flow passages to another of the plurality of flow passages. 
   
   
       9 . The heat exchanger tube as defined in  claim 1 , further comprising a web formed of the tube body that fluidly separates each of the plurality of flow passages. 
   
   
       10 . The heat exchanger tube as defined in  claim 9 , further comprising micro-fins established on the wall, the web or combinations thereof, such that the micro-fins extend into at least one of the plurality of flow passages. 
   
   
       11 . The heat exchanger tube as defined in  claim 1  wherein the tube body has a substantially oval or oblong shape. 
   
   
       12 . The heat exchanger tube as defined in  claim 1  wherein the varying wall thickness ranges from about 0.1 mm to about 0.9 mm. 
   
   
       13 . The heat exchanger tube as defined in  claim 1  wherein the wall has at least two portions, wherein a first of the at least two portions has a first uniform thickness, and wherein a second of the at least two portions has a second uniform thickness that is different from the first uniform thickness. 
   
   
       14 . The heat exchanger tube as defined in  claim 1  wherein at least some of the plurality of flow passages have a first configuration, wherein at least some other of the plurality of flow passages have a second configuration different than the first configuration, and wherein the wall thickness adjacent the first configuration is different than the wall thickness adjacent the second configuration. 
   
   
       15 . A combo-cooler, comprising:
 at least two end tanks; and   a plurality of heat exchangers established between the at least two end tanks, at least one of the plurality of heat exchangers having a tube, including:
 a tube body with two opposed sides and a wall having a varying thickness between the two opposed sides; and 
 a plurality of flow passages defined in the tube body. 
   
   
   
       16 . The combo-cooler as defined in  claim 15  wherein each of the plurality of heat exchangers has a tube width ranging from about 8 mm to about 70 mm. 
   
   
       17 . The combo-cooler as defined in  claim 15  wherein the wall thickness is greatest at or near a center of the tube body, and wherein the wall thickness decreases extending from the center to each of the two opposed sides. 
   
   
       18 . The combo-cooler as defined in  claim 17  wherein the wall thickness is symmetric from the center to each of the two opposed sides. 
   
   
       19 . The combo-cooler as defined in  claim 15 , further comprising:
 a web formed of the tube body that fluidly separates each of the plurality of flow passages; and   a plurality of micro-fins established on the wall, the web or combinations thereof, such that the plurality of micro-fins extends into at least one of the plurality of flow passages.   
   
   
       20 . The combo-cooler as defined in  claim 15  wherein the wall has at least two portions, wherein a first of the at least two portions has a first uniform thickness, and wherein a second of the at least two portions has a second uniform thickness that is different from the first uniform thickness. 
   
   
       21 . The combo-cooler as defined in  claim 15  wherein at least some of the plurality of flow passages have a first configuration, wherein at least some other of the plurality of flow passages have a second configuration different than the first configuration, and wherein the wall thickness adjacent the first configuration is different than the wall thickness adjacent the second configuration. 
   
   
       22 . A method for increasing thermal stress resistance of a heat exchanger tube, the method comprising:
 varying a thickness of a wall between two opposed sides of a tube body; and   forming a plurality of flow passages in the tube body.   
   
   
       23 . The method as defined in  claim 22  wherein varying the wall thickness includes increasing the thickness along a width of the tube body extending from each of the two opposed sides toward a predetermined distance from each of the two opposed sides. 
   
   
       24 . The method as defined in  claim 22  wherein varying the wall thickness includes symmetrically decreasing the thickness from a center of the tube body toward each of the two opposed sides. 
   
   
       25 . The method as defined in  claim 22 , further comprising:
 forming a web of the tube body that fluidly separates each of the plurality of flow passages; and   forming a plurality of micro-fins on the wall, the web or combinations thereof, such that the plurality of micro-fins extends into at least one of the plurality of flow passages.