Heat Exchanger with Fluted Fin

Abstract

A heat exchanger used in a heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) system may include a first row of substantially parallel tubes and a second row of substantially parallel tubes disposed downstream of the first row of tubes, where the first row of tubes and the second row of tubes are disposed through a pattern of holes in a plate-like fin that may include a notch on a leading edge of the fin. The notch may be disposed between adjacent tubes in the first row and substantially aligned with a tube in the second row of tubes with respect to an airflow travelling in a primary airflow direction across the fin. The notch may serve to increase the amount of heat exchange and/or the heat exchange efficiency between the incoming airflow and the second row of tubes.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A plate-fin heat exchanger, comprising:
 a fin comprising a leading edge comprising a first notch.   
     
     
         2 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a first row of tubes that pass through the first fin, wherein the first notch is disposed between a first tube and a second tube in the first row of tubes.   
     
     
         3 . The heat exchanger of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 a second row of tubes that pass through the first fin and that is disposed downstream relative to an airflow from the first row of tubes, wherein a center of the first notch is substantially aligned with a center of a tube in the second row.   
     
     
         4 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a first trailing notch disposed on a trailing edge of the first fin.   
     
     
         5 . The heat exchanger of  claim 4 , wherein a center of the first trailing notch is substantially aligned with a center of at least one of the first tube and the second tube in the second row. 
     
     
         6 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein the leading edge comprises a plurality of notches. 
     
     
         7 . The heat exchanger of  claim 4 , wherein the trailing edge comprises a plurality of trailing notches. 
     
     
         8 . The heat exchanger of  claim 4 , wherein the leading edge comprises a plurality of notches and the trailing edge comprises a plurality of trailing notches. 
     
     
         9 . The heat exchanger of  claim 8 , wherein the leading edge and the trailing edge can nest in each other. 
     
     
         10 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a second fin comprising a leading edge comprising a second notch, wherein the second fin is offset by a fin pitch distance from the first fin.   
     
     
         11 . The heat exchanger of  claim 10 , wherein the first notch is substantially aligned with the second notch and wherein the first notch and the second notch form a notch channel. 
     
     
         11 . A heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system, comprising:
 a plate-fin heat exchanger, comprising:
 a first fin comprising a leading edge comprising a first notch. 
   
     
     
         12 . The HVAC system of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 a first row of tubes that pass through the first fin, wherein the first notch is disposed between a first tube and a second tube in the first row of tubes.   
     
     
         13 . The HVAC system of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 a second row of tubes that pass through the first fin and that is disposed downstream relative to an airflow from the first row of tubes, wherein a center of the first notch is substantially aligned with a center of a tube in the second row with respect to a primary airflow direction.   
     
     
         14 . The HVAC system of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 a first trailing notch disposed on a trailing edge of the first fin.   
     
     
         15 . The HVAC system of  claim 14 , wherein a center of the first trailing notch is substantially aligned with a center of at least one of the first tube and the second tube in the second row. 
     
     
         16 . The HVAC system of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 a second fin comprising a leading edge comprising a second notch, wherein the second fin is offset by a fin pitch distance from the first fin.   
     
     
         17 . The HVAC system of  claim 16 , wherein the first notch is substantially aligned with the second notch, and wherein the first notch and the second notch form a notch channel. 
     
     
         18 . A method of exchanging heat, comprising:
 providing a heat exchanger comprising a first row of tubes and a second row of tubes;   providing a first fin comprising a leading edge and a trailing edge in the heat exchanger;   providing a first notch on the leading edge; and   passing an airflow into contact with a tube of the second row, wherein the air first contacts the fin at a notched portion of the leading edge.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the first notch is disposed between a first tube and a second tube in the first row of tubes. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein a center of the first notch is substantially aligned with a center of a tube in the second row.