Heat exchanger with laminated header and tank and method of manufacture

摘要

A tube and center heat exchanger has header and tank assemblies formed of just two plates stacked and bonded together. One plate has apertures for receiving the tube ends, and the second plate is formed with a plurality of tank defining indentations in an interface thereof that interconnect selected ones of the tube ends to thereby connect all the tubes to define a serpentine flow path through the heat exchanger. The header and tank plates are stamped from flat sheet stock of braze clad aluminum, the necessary perforations, clinch tabs and indentations are formed and the plates are stacked and clinched into header and tank assemblies. The tube and center elements are assembled and the tube ends are inserted into the header and tank assemblies. The whole heat exchanger is then brazed to form the bonding between the plates as well as the other elements.