3003 / 1060 Aluminum Coiled Tube for Air Conditioner Heat Exchangers - Condenser & Evaporator Pipe
3003 / 1060 Aluminium Coiled Tube for Air Conditioner Heat Exchangers
This aluminium tube is supplied coiled and is intended for the heat exchangers of air conditioning and refrigeration equipment, where it forms the refrigerant circuit of a condenser or an evaporator. It is drawn in 3003 or 1060 aluminium, the two grades commonly chosen for this duty, and delivered in coils so the tube can be fed into a bending and expanding line without a straightening step.
Because the coil is continuous, a circuit can be formed with fewer joints, which reduces the number of brazed connections in a leak-sensitive assembly.
Grades and form
The tube is produced in 3003 aluminium for its combination of formability and strength, or in 1060 for a softer, higher-purity tube where the bend radii are tight. Both are supplied as coiled round tube in the wall thickness the coil design calls for. The temper is selected so the tube bends and expands without cracking at the return bends of the exchanger.
Condenser and evaporator service
In a condenser the tube carries hot compressed refrigerant and rejects heat to the outdoor air; in an evaporator it carries the expanded refrigerant and absorbs heat from the space being cooled. In both duties the aluminium tube is chosen for its low weight and high thermal conductivity, which lets the coil reach the required heat transfer with less metal than a heavier tube would need.
Why aluminium for heat exchangers
The low density of aluminium keeps the weight of a large coil down, which matters in split and packaged units where the coil hangs on the cabinet. Its thermal conductivity is high, so heat passes from the refrigerant to the fin and the air with little resistance. Because the tube and the fins can both be aluminium, the coil can be built without the galvanic couple that forms when two different metals are joined in a wet outdoor environment.
Coil handling and jointing
Coils are wound so the tube can be paid out into the forming machine at a steady tension, which keeps the wall from thinning as the tube is bent. Ends can be supplied clean and ready for brazing or for mechanical expansion into the fins. The coils are packed to protect the surface from scuffing and moisture during storage and transport.
What to confirm before ordering
Confirm the outside diameter, wall thickness, temper and coil weight the forming line can accept, and state the refrigerant and operating pressure the circuit will see so that the correct grade is supplied. Confirm also whether the tube must meet a particular surface or cleanliness requirement for the brazing process.