Replace Copper Tube Heat Exchangers with Aluminum Tube Heat Exchangers

Replace Copper Tube Heat Exchangers with Aluminum Tube Heat Exchangers

Given the persistently high copper prices with further upward potential, aluminum tube heat exchangers offer a superior cost-performance ratio and greater development potential. Their outstanding advantages in cost, performance, weight, and manufacturing processes make them the more viable choice.

Significant Cost Advantage: Aluminum commands a lower market price than copper. Persistently high copper prices keep raw material costs for copper tube heat exchangers elevated, whereas aluminum tube heat exchangers inherently possess a cost advantage. Taking common air conditioning heat exchangers as an example, studies indicate that using aluminum tube heat exchangers indoors can reduce costs by 10%-25% under current technological conditions while maintaining equivalent heat transfer performance to copper tube heat exchangers. Widespread adoption of aluminum tube heat exchangers will yield substantial savings in raw material procurement, significantly enhance product price competitiveness, and secure a competitive edge in the market.

Outstanding Performance:

Excellent Thermal Conductivity: Aluminum possesses exceptional thermal conductivity with a relatively high thermal conductivity coefficient, enabling rapid capture and transfer of heat. In finned aluminum tube heat exchangers, when hot fluid flows through the tubes, heat rapidly transfers through the tube walls to the aluminum fins and dissipates. Cold fluid flowing over the fins efficiently absorbs this heat, facilitating heat exchange between hot and cold fluids. For example, using aluminum radiators in automotive engine cooling systems can improve engine cooling efficiency by approximately 15%-20%.

High Corrosion Resistance: Unlike copper-tube-fin heat exchangers, which are prone to pitting corrosion in humid environments leading to refrigerant leaks, aluminum forms a dense oxide layer upon contact with air. This layer isolates the internal aluminum from external corrosive substances, providing excellent resistance to pitting corrosion. In regions prone to pitting corrosion, such as North America and Canada, manufacturers predominantly opt for aluminum heat exchangers. Furthermore, through technical optimizations like selecting appropriate aluminum alloys and applying coatings, all-aluminum microchannel heat exchangers exhibit similar material properties. This significantly reduces corrosion rates caused by electrochemical reactions, mitigates heat transfer losses due to corrosion, and delivers substantial long-term energy savings.

Significant Weight Advantage: Aluminum's density is only one-third that of steel. Compared to copper tube heat exchangers, aluminum tube heat exchangers are lighter. This is crucial in many applications, such as in the automotive sector where aluminum radiators can reduce vehicle weight by 5%-10%. This not only helps lower fuel consumption and achieve energy savings and emission reductions but also enhances vehicle handling performance to some extent. In environments with strict weight constraints, the lightweight nature of aluminum tube heat exchangers greatly facilitates installation and operation.

High processing and manufacturing feasibility: Aluminum tube processing techniques are well-established. Domestic production of internally threaded aluminum tubes has been in mass production for years, with manufacturing processes similar to those for internally threaded copper tubes. Aluminum round tube heat exchangers utilize internally threaded aluminum tubes and aluminum foil perforated fins connected via expansion joints, while half-round tubes and piping are fabricated through flame welding. Their structural design and manufacturing processes closely resemble traditional copper tube heat exchangers, facilitating seamless process conversion and production adjustments for manufacturers. Moreover, with the development of new aluminum alloy materials and advanced manufacturing techniques such as precision casting and welding technologies, the manufacturing precision and quality of aluminum heat exchangers have significantly improved.