Lanced sine wave fin configuration for heat exchangers

Abstract

Described herein is a heat exchanger comprising a plurality of plate fins. At least one plate fin comprises a plurality of holes arranged in one or more rows, and a contoured region formed adjacent to one of the plurality of holes and having a sinusoidal corrugation. The contoured region comprises a plurality of elongate adjustable lance elements, wherein the sinusoidal corrugation in each of the rows comprises three half-waves of a first wave size in the middle portion of the corresponding row, and two half-waves of a second wave size on lateral ends of the corresponding row, wherein the second wave size is smaller than the first wave size.

1 . A heat exchanger comprising a plurality of plate fins, at least one plate fin comprising:
 a plurality of holes arranged in one or more rows; and   a contoured region formed adjacent to one of the plurality of holes and having a sinusoidal corrugation, the contoured region comprising a plurality of elongate adjustable lance elements;   wherein the sinusoidal corrugation in each of the rows comprises three half-waves of a first wave size in a middle portion of the corresponding row, and two half-waves of a second wave size on lateral ends of the corresponding row, wherein the second wave size is smaller than the first wave size.   
     
     
         2 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of elongate adjustable lance elements is offset relative to a central plane arranged at a midpoint of an amplitude of the sinusoidal corrugation. 
     
     
         3 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of elongate adjustable lance elements has a non-uniform lance width. 
     
     
         4 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of elongate adjustable lance elements has a non-uniform lance offset. 
     
     
         5 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein width of the lance elements associated with the waves having the first wave size is greater than width of the lance element associated with the waves having the second wave size. 
     
     
         6 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein amplitude of the lance elements associated with the waves having the first wave size is greater than amplitude of the lance element associated with the waves having the second wave size. 
     
     
         7 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein an inter-row area between adjacent rows among the one or more rows of the plurality of holes has a planar profile. 
     
     
         8 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein the sinusoidal corrugation comprises at least one peak and at least one valley, wherein at least one elongate adjustable lance element among the plurality of elongate adjustable lance elements is formed at the at least one valley and/or the at least one peak. 
     
     
         9 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein the sinusoidal corrugation comprises at least one peak and at least one valley, wherein at least one elongate adjustable lance element among the plurality of elongate adjustable lance elements is formed at a waveform between the at least one valley and the at least one peak. 
     
     
         10 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein at least one elongate adjustable lance element among the plurality of elongate adjustable lance elements is offset such that a first gap created between a leading edge, upstream of an airflow direction, of the corresponding lance elements and a surface of the plate fin is greater than a second gap created between a trailing edge, opposite to the leading edge, of the corresponding lance element and the surface of the plate fin. 
     
     
         11 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein at least one elongate adjustable lance element among the plurality of elongate adjustable lance elements has a curved profile. 
     
     
         12 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein at least one elongate adjustable lance element among the plurality of elongate adjustable lance elements has a flat profile. 
     
     
         13 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein at least one elongate adjustable lance element among the plurality of elongate adjustable lance elements is inclined. 
     
     
         14 . The heat exchanger of  claim 13 , wherein the at least one elongate adjustable lance element is inclined such that a non-uniform gap is between a leading edge and a trailing edge of the corresponding lance element. 
     
     
         15 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the adjusted lance elements among the plurality of elongate adjustable lance elements is beyond a lower surface of the plate fin in a first direction. 
     
     
         16 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the adjusted lance elements among the plurality of elongate adjustable lance elements is beyond a lower surface of the plate fin in a second direction. 
     
     
         17 . A heat exchanger comprising a plurality of plate fins, at least one plate fin comprising:
 a plurality of holes arranged in one or more rows; and   a contoured region formed adjacent to one of the plurality of holes and having a sinusoidal corrugation, the contoured region comprising a plurality of elongate adjustable lance elements;   wherein the sinusoidal corrugation in each of the rows comprises three half-waves of a first wave size in a middle portion of the corresponding row, and two half-waves of a second wave size on lateral ends of the corresponding row, the second wave size is smaller than the first wave size,   wherein width and amplitude of the lance elements associated with the waves having the first wave size is greater than width and amplitude of the lance element associated with the waves having the second wave size.   
     
     
         18 . The heat exchanger of  claim 17 , wherein at least one elongate adjustable lance element among the plurality of elongate adjustable lance elements is offset such that a first gap created between a leading edge, upstream of airflow direction, of the corresponding lance elements and a surface of the plate fin is greater than a second gap created between a trailing edge, opposite to the leading edge, of the corresponding lance element and the surface of the plate fin. 
     
     
         19 . The heat exchanger of  claim 17 , wherein amplitude of the lance elements associated with the waves having the first wave size is greater than amplitude of the lance element associated with the waves having the second wave size. 
     
     
         20 . A plate fin for a heat exchanger, the plate fin comprising:
 a sheet comprising a plurality of holes arranged in one or more rows; and   a contoured region formed adjacent to one of the plurality of holes on the sheet and having a sinusoidal corrugation, the contoured region comprising a plurality of elongate adjustable lance elements;   wherein the sinusoidal corrugation in each of the rows comprises three half-waves of a first wave size in a middle portion of the corresponding row, and two half-waves of a second wave size on lateral ends of the corresponding row, wherein the second wave size is smaller than the first wave size.