Spine tube condenser

[[XC] 2long4u]

Has anyone ever thought about using this stuff? It looks like it would do a great job. http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.pedco2000.com/images/SpineFinTubeHX640x480x100.JPG&imgrefurl=http://www.pedco2000.com/heat_exchangers.htm&h=635&w=508&sz=31&hl=en&start=1&um=1&tbnid=UOvLERp2L2Sv6M:&tbnh=137&tbnw=110&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dspine%2Bfinned%2Btube%26svnum%3D10%26 um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN
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[PhilippF]

Hey, I already used one of these last year at christmas to decorate the tree! :p:

But, fun aside, what do they use for the "bushy" thing around the tube? And does this white tower in the middle have any function?

[[XC] 2long4u]

Thats the only pic of a spine tube that I could find at short notice. It is a tube that has pin like fins attached to the tube instead of a common fin. We got a new heat pump last winter and the condensing unit is spine tube based. I could take a pic when I get home.

[[XC] gomeler]

My condensing unit is just like that. I was rather shocked when I looked inside of it. I suspect for our applications small dense condensers are still the way to go due to space constraints.

edit: Just had a brain wave. If this stuff is just soft-copper with aluminum sleeving then you could potentially use stuff like this for your discharge to condenser line, throw a little loop in there and you have a very effective DSH.

[[XC] 2long4u]

But for the size these are supposed to be more efficient. So you could possibly make one for a ss that needs no desuperheater or a small sized cascade condenser.

[[XC] gomeler]

Well while I have no reference as to the exact size of the spine-tube piping in that picture above, the stuff in my condensing unit doesn't look all that flexible. Considering how I'd say you have 8"x10"x5" for a condensing area + fan, bending that stuff so that it stays within those bounds on a SS case would be rather difficult unlike condensers which use 180* bends and dense fin rows. On a cascade where space isn't such an issue perhaps this could be more applicable or if you didn't have space constraints on the singlestage.

[[XC] 2long4u]

http://hvac-talk.com/vbb/showthread.php?threadid=77423&pagenumber=2

[Xeon th MG Pony]

Stuff is horrorid, it breaks making little aluminium slivers every where, massive air resistance, pain in the rear to work with out breaking it.

Oh and messy damned stuff makes a great air filter though! Never seen so much dust and sod in my life! I felt sick after working on a unit that used that crap as an evap!

[best [486]]

saw some of that on a condenser on a window ac, covered in dust and mold, scariest $#!7 i've seen yet