Segmented fins for a cast heat exchanger

Abstract

A heat exchanger includes a plate portion including a top surface, bottom surface, a leading edge, a trailing edge and a plurality of internal passages extending between an inlet and an outlet. A plurality of fin portion rows are included. A first row of the plurality of fin portions includes at least two discrete fin portions and a second row of the plurality of in portions includes fewer fin portions than the first row. The first row is closer to the inlet than the second row. A cast plate for a heat exchanger and a method are also disclosed.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A heat exchanger comprising:
 a plate portion including a top surface, bottom surface, a leading edge, a trailing edge and a plurality of internal passages extending between an inlet and an outlet; and   a plurality of fin portion rows, wherein a first row of the plurality of fin portions comprises at least two discrete fin portions and a second row of the plurality of in portions comprises fewer fin portions than the first row, wherein the first row is closer to the inlet than the second row.   
     
     
         2 . The heat exchanger as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of fin portion rows includes a last row spaced furthest from the inlet that includes a continuous fin portion extending uninterrupted from the leading edge to the trailing edge. 
     
     
         3 . The heat exchanger as recited in  claim 1 , wherein a first group of discrete fin portions in the first row includes a first common length in a direction between the leading edge and the trailing edge. 
     
     
         4 . The heat exchanger as recited in  claim 3 , including second group of discrete fin portions in the second row, wherein the second group of discrete fin portions includes a second common length that is larger than the first common length. 
     
     
         5 . The heat exchanger as recited in  claim 4 , including a third row spaced further from the inlet than the first row and the second row, the third row including a third group of discrete fin portion, wherein the third group of discrete fin portions includes a third common length that is larger than either of the first common length and second common length. 
     
     
         6 . The heat exchanger as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of fin portion rows includes additional rows including groups of discrete fin portions disposed between the first row and a last row furthest from the inlet. 
     
     
         7 . The heat exchanger as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the plate portion comprises a plurality of plate portions with corresponding pluralities of internal passages, the plurality of plate portions including flow channels for cooling air flow with the plurality of fin portion rows extending into each of the flow channels. 
     
     
         8 . The heat exchanger as recited in  claim 1 , wherein each of the top surface and the bottom surface include the plurality of fin portion rows. 
     
     
         9 . The heat exchanger as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the plate portion and the fin portion rows comprise a single unitary cast item. 
     
     
         10 . A cast plate for a heat exchanger comprising:
 a plate portion including a top surface, bottom surface, a leading edge, a trailing edge and a plurality of internal passages extending between an inlet and an outlet; and   a plurality of fin portion rows, wherein a first row of the plurality of fin portions comprises at least two discrete fin portions, wherein the plate portion and the plurality of fin portion rows comprise a single unitary uninterrupted cast item.   
     
     
         11 . The cast plate for heat exchanger as recited in  claim 10 , wherein the plate portion comprises a plurality of plate portions with corresponding pluralities of internal passages, the plurality of plate portions including flow channels for cooling air flow between at least some of the plate portions and the plurality of fin portion rows extending into each of the flow channels. 
     
     
         12 . The cast plate for heat exchanger as recited in  claim 10 , wherein the plurality of fin portion rows includes additional rows comprised of groups of discrete fin portions disposed between the first row and a last row furthest from the inlet. 
     
     
         13 . The cast plate for a heat exchanger as recited in  claim 12 , wherein each of the groups of discrete fin portions includes discrete fin portions of a common length and the common length for each of the groups of discrete fin portions increases with an increasing distance from the inlet. 
     
     
         14 . The cast plate for a heat exchanger as recited in  claim 13 , wherein the plurality of fin portion rows includes a last row spaced furthest from the inlet that includes a continuous fin portion extending uninterrupted from the leading edge to the trailing edge. 
     
     
         15 . The cast plate for a heat exchanger as recited in  claim 14 , wherein each of the plurality of fin portions includes tapered longitudinal ends. 
     
     
         16 . A method of building a heat exchanger comprising:
 forming a first core defining a plurality of internal passages through a plate portion;   inserting the core within a mold cavity that defines outer surfaces of the plate portion to include a top surface, bottom surface, a leading edge, a trailing edge and a plurality of fin portion rows, wherein a first row comprises at least two discrete fin portions;   introducing cast material into the mold to form a single unitary heat exchanger plate without a joint between the plate portion and the plurality of fin portions; and   removing the heat exchanger plate from the mold and removing the core from the plate portion.   
     
     
         17 . The method as recited in  claim 16 , wherein the plate portion comprises a plurality of plate portion defining flow channels between spaced apart plate portions and forming a second core to define a plurality of fin portions within the flow channels. 
     
     
         18 . The method as recited in  claim 17 , wherein the mold cavity includes features for defining fin portions on a top surface of a top one of the plurality of plate portions and on a bottom surface of the plurality of plate portions and the second core includes features for defining the fin portions within the flow channels between intermediate ones of the plurality of plate portions. 
     
     
         19 . The method as recited in  claim 18 , wherein the second core and the mold cavity define the plurality of fin portion rows to include additional rows comprised of groups of discrete fin portions disposed between the first row and a last row. 
     
     
         20 . The method as recited in  claim 19 , wherein the second core and the mold cavity define the plurality of fin portion rows to include a last row spaced furthest from the inlet that includes a continuous fin portion extending uninterrupted from the leading edge to the trailing edge.