Heat exchanger tube to header swaging process

Details Heat exchanger tube to header swaging process Heat exchanger tube to header swaging process

2000-06-05

2001-01-30

Flanigan, Allen (Department: 3743)

Metal working

Method of mechanical manufacture

Heat exchanger or boiler making

C029S727000, C165S158000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06178636

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Technical Field
A method for making a heat exchanger.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The manufacture of tube and bundle style heat exchangers require sealing joints formed between tubes and headers to prevent fluid from passing through the joint. The: sealing is widely accomplished by expanding the tube, which is typically a malleable material, into the header substrate causing the tube to form to the header surface profile. The tube expansion is widely performed by tube rolling which requires the use of a tube roller. A tube roller includes a thrust collar for preventing over-inserting the tube roller into the tube being expanded. The thrust collar prevents expanding more than one tube at a time due to its width and the close proximity of the header holes.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION AND ADVANTAGES
A method for making a heat exchanger by simultaneously expanding a plurality of tubes. The method includes inserting tubes through holes in heat exchanger baffles and headers to form a bundle, and expanding the tubes forming an interference fit with the heat exchanger baffles. The bundle is inserted into a housing open at both ends having a wall surrounding the headers with inlet and outlet lines in the wall. The wall of the housing is sealed to the first and second headers with the inlet and outlet lines disposed between the headers. A plurality of the mandrel heads is inserted through the open ends of the housing and into the tubes expanding the tubes into the headers forming a sealed joint between the tubes and the headers.
The use of a mandrel head having a narrow shaft facilitates the use of multiple mandrels which allows swaging all of the tubes simultaneously. The swaging of tubes in this fashion significantly reduces the process time required to form the joints between the tubes and the header. In addition, tool replacement costs are greatly reduced. The entire tube roller must be replaced when the roller surface is worn whereas only the mandrel must be replaced when the mandrel head is worn. Also, a mandrel head used in the manner described above will last up to seven times longer than a tube roller reducing replacement frequency.


REFERENCES:
patent: 2411097 (1946-11-01), Kopp
patent: 2956233 (1960-05-01), Gardner
patent: 4152818 (1979-05-01), Mort et al.
patent: 4207944 (1980-06-01), Holtz et al.
patent: 4884629 (1989-12-01), Bronnert

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