Heat exchanger and a method for forming a heat exchanger

Abstract

A heat exchanger includes a spine fin strip wrapped onto a conduit in a helical pattern. A first plurality of spine fins of the spine fin strip extends from a base of the spine fin strip, and a second plurality of spine fins of the spine fin strip is bent relative to the spine fins of the first plurality of spine fins. A related method for forming a heat exchanger is also provided.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for forming a heat exchanger, comprising:
 cutting a plurality of spine fins into a sheet of metal;   bending a subset of the plurality of spine fins;   folding the sheet of metal to form a spine fin strip such that the plurality of spine fins extend from a base of the spine fin strip; and   wrapping the spine fin strip onto a conduit in a helical pattern at an outer surface of the conduit such that the plurality of spine fins includes spine fins that extend radially away from the outer surface of the conduit and also includes spine fins that are bent relative to the radially extending spine fins.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said step of bending comprises utilizing a comb to bend the subset of the plurality of spine fins at said step of bending, the comb comprising a plurality of tines that are spaced apart from one another. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the subset of the plurality of spine fins are bent such that the subset of the plurality of spine fins form vortex generators on the spine fin strip after said step of wrapping. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein each spine fin of the subset of the plurality of spine fins defines an angle, β, with the outer surface of the conduit proximate the subset of the plurality of spine fins after said step of wrapping, β being no greater than seventy degrees. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the spine fins of the second plurality of spine fins are bent such that the spine fins of the second plurality of spine fins are distributed in a helical pattern between windings of the spine fin strip after said step of wrapping. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the conduit comprises aluminum. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the sheet of metal comprises aluminum. 
     
     
         8 . A heat exchanger, comprising:
 a conduit having an outer surface;   a spine fin strip wrapped onto the conduit in a helical pattern at the outer surface of the conduit, the spine fin strip comprising
 a base positioned at the outer surface of the conduit; 
 a first plurality of spine fins extending radially from the base and away from the outer surface of the conduit; and 
 a second plurality of spine fins bent relative to the spine fins of the first plurality of spine fins; 
 wherein the base, the spine fins of the first plurality of spine fins and the spine fins of the first plurality of spine fins are formed from a common piece of sheet metal. 
   
     
     
         9 . The heat exchanger of  claim 8 , wherein each spine fin of the first plurality of spine fins defines an angle, a, with the outer surface of the conduit proximate the first plurality of spine fins, a being about ninety degrees, each spine fin of the second plurality of spine fins defining an angle, β, with the outer surface of the conduit proximate the second plurality of spine fins, β being no greater than seventy degrees. 
     
     
         10 . The heat exchanger of  claim 8 , wherein the spine fins of the second plurality of spine fins are bent such that the spine fins of the second plurality of spine fins are distributed in a helical pattern between windings of the spine fin strip. 
     
     
         11 . The heat exchanger of  claim 8 , wherein the spine fins of the second plurality of spine fins are bent such that the spine fins of the second plurality of spine fins form vortex generators on the spine fin strip. 
     
     
         12 . The heat exchanger of  claim 8 , wherein the conduit comprises aluminum. 
     
     
         13 . The heat exchanger of  claim 8 , wherein the sheet metal comprises aluminum. 
     
     
         14 . A heat exchanger, comprising:
 a conduit having an outer surface;   a spine fin strip wrapped onto the conduit in a helical pattern at the outer surface of the conduit, the spine fin strip comprising
 a base positioned at the outer surface of the conduit; 
 a first plurality of spine fins mounted to the base, each spine fin of the first plurality of spine fins defining an angle, a, with the outer surface of the conduit proximate the first plurality of spine fins, a being about ninety degrees; and 
 a second plurality of spine fins mounted to the base, each spine fin of the second plurality of spine fins defining an angle, β, with the outer surface of the conduit proximate the second plurality of spine fins, β being no greater than seventy degrees; 
 wherein the base, the spine fins of the first plurality of spine fins and the spine fins of the first plurality of spine fins are formed from a common piece of sheet metal. 
   
     
     
         15 . The heat exchanger of  claim 14 , wherein the spine fins of the second plurality of spine fins are distributed in a helical pattern between windings of the spine fin strip. 
     
     
         16 . The heat exchanger of  claim 14 , wherein the spine fins of the second plurality of spine fins form vortex generators on the spine fin strip. 
     
     
         17 . The heat exchanger of  claim 14 , wherein the conduit comprises aluminum. 
     
     
         18 . The heat exchanger of  claim 14 , wherein the sheet metal comprises aluminum.