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Inner Groove Simulation Developed for Copper Tubes

The effects of certain internal surface enhancements can now be simulated without deforming the tubes to improve heat transfer in heat exchanger design.

Posted: June 3, 2015

The studies by Burr Oak Tool, ICA and OTS show that microfins could increase refrigerant-side heat transfer as much as 300 percent, depending on tube diameter.

Burr Oak Tool Inc. (Sturgis, MI) has recently partnered with the International Copper Association (ICA; New York, NY) and Optimized Thermal Systems, Inc. (OTS; College Park, MD) in developing simulations of the inner-grooves of MicroGroove™ copper tubes using CoilDesigner® software from the University of Maryland. With these new developments by ICA and Burr Oak Tool, which were implemented by OTS into the CoilDesigner software, a proprietary heat exchanger simulation and design optimization tool, the effects of certain surface enhancements can now be simulated.

Burr Oak Tool is addressing the manufacturing challenges with the internal surfaces of the copper tubes, including MicroGroove tubes, and is working to develop a non-mechanical expansion technology to expand the tubes without deforming the internal tube enhancements. With the new software the effects of the enhancements tested to identify geometries to increase heat transfer performance. The studies by Burr Oak Tool, ICA and OTS show that microfins could increase refrigerant-side heat transfer as much as 300 percent, depending on tube diameter.

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