Bendable heat exchanger

Abstract

A heat exchanger for disposition within a duct having a curved surface is provided and includes a frame formed to define an inlet, an outlet and an interior by which the inlet and outlet are fluidly communicative, the frame including first and second surfaces having curvatures similar to that of the curved surface on either side of the interior and a heat exchanger fin disposed in the interior, the fin having corrugations and being formed to define slots transverse to the corrugations such that the fin is bendable along the curvatures of the first and second surfaces.

1 . A heat exchanger for disposition within a duct having a curved surface, the heat exchanger comprising:
 a frame formed to define an inlet, an outlet and an interior by which the inlet and outlet are fluidly communicative, the frame including first and second surfaces having curvatures similar to that of the curved surface on either side of the interior; and   a heat exchanger fin disposed in the interior, the fin having corrugations and being formed to define slots transverse to the corrugations such that the fin is bendable along the curvatures of the first and second surfaces.   
     
     
         2 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein the slots and corrugations are perpendicular. 
     
     
         3 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein the fin comprises a metal or metallic alloy. 
     
     
         4 . A heat exchanger fin, comprising:
 a sheet of fin material having a first axis defined along a planned fin backbone and a second axis defined transversely to the planned fin backbone;   the sheet being formed to define slots along the second axis such that the slots are transverse to the first axis and the planned fin backbone; and   the sheet including corrugations along the second axis and the slots.   
     
     
         5 . The heat exchanger fin according to  claim 4 , wherein the sheet is bendable along the first axis. 
     
     
         6 . The heat exchanger fin according to  claim 4 , wherein the first and second axes are perpendicular. 
     
     
         7 . The heat exchanger fin according to  claim 4 , wherein the slots and corrugations are perpendicular. 
     
     
         8 . The heat exchanger fin according to  claim 4 , wherein the fin material comprises a metal or metallic alloy. 
     
     
         9 . A method of assembling a heat exchanger, the method comprising:
 forming fin material into a sheet having a first axis defined along a planned fin backbone and a second axis defined transversely to the planned fin backbone;   machining slots in the sheet along the second axis such that the slots are transverse to the first axis and the planned fin backbone; and   corrugating the sheet along the second axis to form a corrugated sheet with corrugations provided along the slots.   
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 9 , further comprising bending the sheet along the first axis. 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein the first and second axes are perpendicular. 
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 6 , wherein the slots and corrugations are perpendicular. 
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein the fin material comprises a metal or metallic alloy.