The wire fin extended surface lends itself to being bent and manipulated into different and often complex geometries. One such application is for cooling the lubrication oil on large bearings. Applications include marine, power generation or general industrial large bearings.
These coolers sit inside the bearing casing with coolant flowing through the tubes and the oil passing over the wire wound fins. The wire fin surface is ideal for these types of applications as it allows the non-uniform oil flow to pass through the fins allowing to the natural porosity of the surface. Heat exchangers can be designed in accordance with ASME, local directives and customer specifications.
The material selection for these heat exchangers is critical and depends on how easily it is to service the cooler, the interaction with the coolant and customer/ASME code requirements. Typical materials used are CuNi and stainless steel.