Tube for a heat exchanger

摘要

An elongate tube 101 for a heat exchanger comprises a first end 138 and a second end respectively connected to first and second headers. An outer wall 110 of the tube encompasses an internal volume 108 providing at least two channels 116 communicating a heat exchange fluid between the first and second headers. At least one seam 104 in the outer wall extends the length of the tube, and includes a pair of opposed flanges 106 extending into the internal volume dividing the volume into the channels. The outer wall is joined together along the length of the seam. The elongate tube has proximate the first end a first end region 136 and proximate the second end a second end region, and between these regions an intermediate region 142. The tube is flattened along its length whereby the flanges divide the internal volume into at least two flattened lobes (130, fig 4). Each lobe provides one of the channels and each lobe extends laterally away from the flanges relative to the length of the tube. At least two of the lobes in the intermediate region are flatter (thinner) than the lobes in at least one of the end regions.