Heat Transfer Device And Method

Abstract

Heat transfer devices and methods of making such devices are disclosed. One such device is a fin having a primary texture and a secondary texture, wherein each texture has an average amplitude. The amplitude is an elevation change from a peak of the texture to an adjacent valley. The average amplitude of the secondary texture is between 1% and 90% of the average amplitude of the primary texture. Such a fin may have holes, some of which may be used to accommodate tubes passing through the fin.

1 . A heat transfer device, comprising a fin having a primary texture and a secondary texture, wherein each texture has an average amplitude, the amplitude being an elevation change from a peak of the texture to an adjacent valley, and the average amplitude of the secondary texture is between 1% and 90% of the average amplitude of the primary texture. 
     
     
         2 . The heat transfer device of  claim 1 , wherein the fin has a substantially constant thickness. 
     
     
         3 . The heat transfer device of  claim 1 , wherein a plurality of holes extend through the fin. 
     
     
         4 . The heat transfer device of  claim 3 , further comprising a tube extending through one of the holes. 
     
     
         5 . The heat transfer device of  claim 4 , further comprising a collar connected to the fin and the tube to provide a conductive pathway for transferring heat by conduction. 
     
     
         6 . The heat transfer device of  claim 4 , wherein at least one of the holes is open. 
     
     
         7 . The heat transfer device of  claim 1 , wherein the amplitude of the primary texture is less than a thickness-distance of the fin. 
     
     
         8 . The heat transfer device of  claim 1 , wherein the amplitude of the primary texture is more than a thickness-distance of the fin. 
     
     
         9 . The heat transfer device of  claim 1 , wherein the fin has a surface finish created by a process selected from electro-polishing, pickling, passivation, anodizing, sand blasting, chemical treatment, sputtering, spraying, ion deposition, vacuum forming and cleaning. 
     
     
         10 . The heat transfer device of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the textures is created by adding material to the fin. 
     
     
         11 . The heat transfer device of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the textures is created by moving portions of the fin material. 
     
     
         12 . The heat transfer device of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the textures is formed by subjecting the fin to an operation selected from rolling, cold working, stamping and embossing. 
     
     
         13 . The heat transfer device of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the textures is a repeating pattern. 
     
     
         14 . The heat transfer device of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the textures is a non-repeating pattern. 
     
     
         15 . The heat transfer device of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the textures is provided by a coating applied to a substrate. 
     
     
         16 . The heat transfer device of  claim 1 , wherein the fin is heat treated. 
     
     
         17 . The heat transfer device of  claim 1 , wherein the fin is work hardened. 
     
     
         18 . The heat transfer device of  claim 1 , wherein the fin is a composite of two or more materials. 
     
     
         19 . The heat transfer device of  claim 1 , wherein the fin is displaced substantially equally about a geometrically central axis of the fin. 
     
     
         20 . A method of making a heat transfer device, comprising:
 providing a substantially flat thermally-conductive fin material;   forming the fin material by rolling, stamping or cold working to impart a primary texture;   imparting a secondary texture to the fin material;   wherein each texture has an average amplitude, the amplitude being an elevation change from a peak of the texture to an adjacent valley, and the average amplitude of the secondary texture is between 1% and 90% of the average amplitude of the primary texture.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein a thickness-distance of the fin material is not altered by forming the fin material to impart the primary texture. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 20 , further comprising forming holes in the fin material. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , further comprising adding a collar to the fin material, the collar coinciding with one of the holes. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , further comprising placing a tube in the collar. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , further comprising securing the collar to the tube to provide a conductive pathway for transferring heat by conduction. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein at least one of the holes remains open to allow fluid to pass through the open hole from a first side of the fin to a second side of the fin. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the average amplitude of the primary texture is less than a thickness-distance of the fin. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the average amplitude of the primary texture is more than a thickness-distance of the fin. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 20 , further comprising working the fin material by a process selected from electro-polishing, pickling, passivation, ionization, sand blasting, chemical treatment, sputtering, spraying, ion deposition, vacuum forming, and cleaning. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the secondary texture is imparted to the fin material by adding material to the fin. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 20 , further comprising applying a coating to the fin material. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the coating has the secondary texture. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 20 , further comprising placing a coating material onto the fin material. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein at least one of the textures is created by moving portions of the fin material. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the secondary texture is imparted by rolling, stamping embossing or cold working the fin material. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the secondary texture is imparted to the fin material prior to imparting the primary texture to the fin material. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 20 , further comprising heat-treating the fin material. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 20 , further comprising work hardening the fin material. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the fin material is rolled so as to displace the fin material substantially equally about a substantially central axis of the fin.