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Efficiency
What Causes Efficiency Loss?
1. A leak in a coil joint.
2. Loss of thermal contact between the fin and tube caused by corrosion.
3. A dirty or damaged coil.
4. Different manufacturing processes. For example, the use of dissimilar metals (copper and aluminum) leads to loss of thermal contact because they expand at different rates.
How Does Spine Fin® Prevent Efficiency Loss?
1. It’s designed for leak resistance.
2. It’s made with corrosion resistant materials and innovative construction techniques.
3. It’s housed in an enclosed, protective cabinet. And, it’s cleanable.
4. On-going research and development keep Spine Fin® on the leading edge.
A five-year survey by Trane’s Product Service Department showed that the field leak rate in two million coils of various sizes, which contained 15 million joints, was only .05% over a five-year period.
The Spine Fin® Difference: A Leak Resistant Design
One-Third The Number Of Brazed Joints.
Spine Fin® has an extremely low leak potential. Coils are more prone to leaking at joints, and Spine Fin® has far fewer joints than plate fin. That’s because Spine Fin® tubing is manufactured in continuous lengths. Brazed connections are required only at the coil (or circuit) inlet and outlet.
Elimination of end-turns used in copper tube plate fin designs permits a dramatic reduction in brazed joints and potential leaks in this design. Of course fewer leaks increases system reliability and durability. This also means a longer compressor life, because the introduction of moisture and contaminants into the sealed system is prevented.
In contrast, plate fin coils are made by stacking flat fins on parallel tubes. Each tube pair requires an end-turn to complete
the refrigerant circuit. A typical 2 1/2 ton air conditioner or heat pump requires 30 or more brazed joint connections. A modern Trane unit of the same size requires about 10. Plate fin coils have three times the leak potential.
Trane’s Unique Transition Joint.
Like other manufacturers, Trane uses copper tubing in piping the refrigerant circuit. What is unique is Trane’s copper aluminum transition joint. This component is ultrasonically pre-tinned with a zinc rich, aluminum solder. As it is assembled into the heated aluminum tubing, it forms a solder fillet at the joint. This solder fillet is sacrificial and protects both of the base metals from corrosion.
A five-year survey by Trane’s Product Service Department showed that the field leak rate in two million coils of various sizes, which contained 15 million such joints, was only .05% over a five-year period.
Woven coil technology is the newest generation of Spine Fin.® The woven coil design weaves a continuous roll of Spine Fin® in a layered configuration, creating an even greater surface area. This greater surface area results in increased efficiency and a reduced cabinet size.
This patented, plated copper tube enables Trane to make a remarkably sound copper/aluminum transition joint.
The integrity of the copper to aluminum connection in the coil is legendary.