Tubular heat exchanger

Claim 1

A tubular heat exchanger comprising a tube adapted for conveying a first fluid medium, and a plurality of adjoining fins mounted on said tube perpendicularly to the axis thereof and uniformly spaced longitudinally therealong, each said fin comprising a plate having a length and width and including a planar portion surrounding said tube and lines of corrugations extending transversely across the entire width of the fin at opposite sides of said tube, said lines of corrugations extending parallel to one another in the direction of flow of a second fluid medium extending perpendicular to the axis of the tube, each said corrugation including opposite side walls extending perpendicularly from said plate in spaced parallel relation, said corrugations including front walls connecting the side walls, the corrugations alternating in each line such that the front wall of one corrugation projects axially forwardly as an apex portion away from the plane of said plate and the front wall of the adjacent corrugation projects axially rearwardly as an apex portion towards the plane of said plate, said forwardly and rearwardly projecting front walls having substantially equal length, said apex portions of the adjoining corrugations defining passages for the flow of said second fluid medium through the corrugations, said corrugations being disposed at one side of the plane of said plate such that the forwardly projecting walls of the corrugations of one fin abut against the rearwardly projecting walls of the corrugations of the adjoining fin to maintain said planar portions of said fins in spaced relation along said tube, said corrugations each having a height between said side walls which is substantially equal to the spacing between the planar portions of adjoining fins.