Patent ID: 9599410
Date: 2017-03-21
CPC Classifications: B23P,F02C,F02K,F05D,F28D,F28F,Y02T,Y10T

Claim:
1. A surface cooler comprising: a plate-shaped layer comprising a thermally conductive material; and a plurality of spaced-apart fins extending substantially perpendicular from an uppermost layer of the plate-shaped layer, each of the plurality of spaced-apart fins including at least two sloping sides disposed on perpendicular sides extending from a bottom exterior of the fin atop the plate-shaped layer to a tip spaced a distance from the plate-shaped layer, the plurality of fins comprising a thermally conductive material and defining a plurality of air flow paths, wherein the plurality of spaced-apart fins is configured in a plurality of aligned rows, each row of the plurality of aligned rows oriented so as to extend in a direction parallel to an incoming fluid flow, wherein at least one of the plurality of spaced-apart fins in each of the plurality of aligned rows varies in height with respect to another one of the plurality of spaced-apart fins in each of the plurality of aligned rows and relative to a thickness of a non-linear formed boundary layer on a surface of the plate-like layer, so as to extend above the boundary layer and remain in a main portion of the incoming fluid flow and as the height of the plurality of spaced-apart fins in each of the plurality of aligned rows varies, the cross sectional area of the plurality of spaced-apart fins varies, wherein the one or more sloping sides define an increase in a volume of the plurality of air flow paths moving from the bottom exterior of the fins to the tip of the fins in contiguous rows in at least one of parallel to the incoming fluid flow or perpendicular to the incoming fluid flow, and wherein the plurality of spaced-apart fins augment heat transfer of the surface cooler by increasing the turbulence levels of a fluid flowing through the airflow paths by promoting increased mixing with a resulting increase in the heat transfer coefficient of the surface cooler.