Welcome to elfin.co.uk, home of the most advanced extended surface technology available today. Whether you are simply looking for a quality product at an affordable price, or maybe something a little more special, something that you simply cannot buy elsewhere, then you have come to the right place.
Elfin Technology is a subsidiary of Applied Cooling Technology Limited and as a member of the ACT Group, has access to a wealth of expertise and experience accumulated during the past 20 years.
In addition to the development and production of extended-surface products, Elfin Technology also develops and manufactures it's own CNC finning machinery. Various models of the ElfinMaster have been developed since 1995, with capacities ranging from 30 to over 200 linear metres per hour.
Here at Elfin Technology, we offer both 'ordinary' and 'extraordinary' products. Extreme durability, efficiency, consistency, flexibility, innovative solutions and material choice. Please, take a look around and don't hesitate to tell us what you think!
We offer: Extended-Surface (Finned) Tubes and Multi-Tube Cores
Incorporating:
Durability
Longevity
Lightweight
High Performance
Efficiency
Flexibility
Vibration Resistance
Impact Resistance
Using:
Aluminium
Aluminium Brass
Admiralty Brass
Copper
Copper-Nickel
Steel
Stainless Steel etc.
Applications include:
Marine
Power Generation
Petrochemical
Offshore
Turbo Compressor
Automotive Sport
Building Services
Decorative
Pharmaceutical
Rail traction
HVAC
Also available:
Hastelloy
Inconel
Monel
Niobium
Tantalum
Titanium
Zirconium
Carbon-Fibre
Ceramic
Plastic etc.
Elfin Core Technology
Background
For many years, the heat transfer industry has used conventional plate-fin block for many applications which has proved to be an acceptable low-cost option. However, conventional plate-fin construction methods have inherent drawbacks and limitations which inhibit innovation and freedom of design.
During the early 1990's, work commenced on a new concept in extended surface technology. This patented process imparts certain unique advantages over conventional construction methods, enabling the heat exchanger manufacturer to gain technical superiority and excellence through innovation and choice.
During subsequent years, Elfin has evolved from a manually finned, single tube product to an infinitely versatile multi-tube, multi-row block which is now produced using state-of-the-art CNC controlled finning machinery. Patents and Patent Improvements have been applied for and/or granted in all appropriate regions including Europe, North and South America, Far East etc.
There is no other product on the market today that can match the versatility of Elfin at such an affordable cost. With successes in the marine, power generation, traction engine and chemical processing industries, we have only just begun to skim the surface of it’s capabilities.
What is Elfin?
Elfin is a patented 'extended-surface tube' design which has been developed by Elfin International for today's demanding air-blast heat exchanger applications.
The Elfin range of products, which is available in a wide variety of single-tube and multi-tube configurations, has been designed to offer outstanding levels of performance, durability and flexibility.
Elfin consists of individual fins which are swaged onto the tubes with great precision using the Patented ElfinMaster finning machine, with each fin having a positional accuracy of just a few microns. The fins, which can be 'collared' or 'collarless' (exposing the primary surface to the airflow), have holes formed to be a precise interference fit with the tube, the resultant mechanical bond negating the need for any further bonding method such as bullet-expansion or brazing. This process imparts a level of flexibility not generally associated with finned heat exchanger tubes. Almost every aspect of the design can be optimised for the target application and environment.
Elfin is probably the best extended surface technology in the world. A bold statement indeed but consider the basic facts:
Very few limitations of size and material
Fin and tube shape can be customised
Incorporates latest air manipulation technologies
Integral flow manipulation
Fins can be angled in relation to the tube in 3 dimensions
Environmentally friendly
No tube deformation
Operating temperatures up to 300°C and beyond
(Aluminum up to 200°C)
Can be brazed for temperatures up to 800°C
Fin pitches from 1 to 40 fins per inch are possible
Allows ‘elastomeric’ tube to tubeplate seals
Integral support mechanisms can be incorporated
Tubes can incorporate internal extended surfaces
Why is Elfin better than…?
…Brazed Block:
Brazing is not environmentally friendly
Elfin can match or better brazed-block performance
Brazing softens/weakens the tubes and fins
Brazed block has more limited material combinations
Block dimensions are limited by furnace size
Expensive brazing and air purification equipment required
…Bullet-Expanded (‘Flexpanded’) Block:
Tubes are deformed/stressed
Expanding limits tube materials
Expanding limits tube thickness
Expanding inhibits the use of shaped tubes and internal profiles
See the Options page for a list of available sizes, shapes and materials etc.
Just imagine the possibilities...
Products Characteristics
In order to fully appreciate the outwardly subtle yet important benefits of the Elfin extended-surface product range, it is first necessary to have a basic understanding of the technical aspects of the design.
Physical Characteristics
Highly flexible and rugged construction
Bespoke fin and tube profiles
High vibration resistance
High impact resistance
High temperature resistance
Wide range of materials available
Inter-locking fin construction
Integral flow enhancement techniques
From 1 to 36 fins per inch (40 to 1500 fpm)
Unlimited tube wall thickness
Performance Characteristics
Enhanced tube-to-fin heat transfer coefficients
Extremely low pressure drop
High thermal performance
How are these benefits achieved?
Fins are precision manufactured to exacting tolerances, ensuring a good mechanical bond with the base tube(s) and a streamlined air-on profile
Fins have an integral collar which is designed to interlock firmly with the adjacent fins
The manufacturing process allows for harder fin materials than with conventional ribbon-wound tubes, imparting high strength and impact resistance
Fins can incorporate airflow enhancement techniques with a low pressure-drop overhead
Tubes can incorporate internal flow turbulation and/or extended surfaces
So what is possible?
The Elfin design is inherently flexible and as such, it is impossible to detail all of the possible configurations and advanced derivatives of the basic design. There are, however, several generic product categories (shown below) that demonstrate the general capabilities of the product.
ElfinBlock, in it's simplest form, is basically a multi-tube derivative of the standard Elfin design, but with multiple tubes bonded to each fin to form a block-matrix. ElfinBlock is manufactured using state-of-the-art CNC-controlled ElfinMaster machinery which results in a high-quality, yet competitively priced finished product. ElfinBlock is unique in many ways but one of the most important, as far as thermal performance and flexibility are concerned, is the ability to incorporate internal extended-surfaces within the base tube itself. Another unique capability is the use of exotic materials, for both the tubes and fins, such as Stainless Steel, Titanium, Hastelloy, Zirconium etc - no other product of this type can boast such a broad range of attributes.
Titan-Lite encompasses our automotive sport technologies for use in Oil Coolers, Radiators and Inter-Coolers for both track, road and off-road vehicles. All kinds of sporting sector are catered for including Formula One, Indy Racing League, Open Wheel Racing Series, C.A.R.T., Rally series, Le Mans, Touring Car, Nascar, Karting and Rally Cross, to name but a few. Optional Carbon-Fibre Tanks and Frames for both the serious racer and the kudos-conscious sports compact driver are also available.
The Elfinesse range of convection tubes is the first of it’s type to offer a truly unique range of finned heating tubes that are actually designed to be seen. The pleasing shapes and surface finishes available mean that the tubes need not be hidden away in expensive trenches or imposing radiator cabinets, but can be a feature in any room.
Finned tubes can be powder coated to either a British Standard or RAL colour to suit client specifications. Powder coating may be for corrosion protection or just for aesthetic purposes, enabling the heating system to compliment and enhance the overall appearance of the room.
Elfin Convektor tubes offer the lightest heat output but share the same rugged construction as Elfinesse tubes, and are primarily for perimeter heating in either cabinets or trenches. As a standard these tubes are manufactured with hard aluminium fins and copper tubes to be compatible with most plumbing systems.
VantageFin represents the ultimate high performance extended surface, benefiting from an average 20% increase in thermal performance over conventional ElfinBlock. What more needs to be said?
Flexibility was one of the primary goals when ElfinBlock was developed and this is demonstrated by the ability to use non-round tube profiles/shapes. ElfinBlock can therefore be produced with oval tubes with dimensions from 3mm x 1mm up to 150mm x 50mm - limited only by the availability of the tube profile and material required.
The most basic form of the Elfin design is based on individually finned tubes consisting of inter-locking, self-spacing precision formed fins. Elfin is visually comparable in many ways to the common ribbon-wound L-Fin product, but that is where the similarities end. For example, one of the most important differences between Elfin and common tension-wound fin types such as L-Fin and LL-Fin is that Elfin cannot become 'unwound', i.e. if the tension-wound strip is 'broken' at any point along it's length, due to corrosion or impact damage for example, the tension is lost and the heat transfer properties of the tube are drastically impaired.
Applications
Elfin technology is used in applications throughout a wide variety of industries. Based on prior experience and customer feedback, here are just a few examples of where and why Elfin works:
Marine
ElfinBlock fins are both flat and consistent. With CNC fin placement to within a few microns, stacked rows align better to reduce pressure drop. Superior performance combined with the ability to incorporate advanced vortex generation in the airflow allows greater spacing between fins. These attributes combine to reduce performance-degrading fouling issues. Our ability to use harder tempered fin materials also means that should fouling occur, the fined core can be pressure washed without causing damage and further performance degradation.
Power Generation, Petrochemical & Offshore
ElfinBlock is inherently flexible. This allows the use of a much broader range of materials than would generally be possible using other construction methods. The base tubes, for example, can be virtually anything: any tube thickness; any material; any shape. Similarly, the fins are infinitely variable: any size and shape, any thickness; any material; with louvres, vortex generators etc. This means that conventional coolers that are not able to withstand an aggressive environment and fail due to corrosion, erosion, stress fracture etc., can be redesigned and remanufactured using resistant materials.
However, the main advantage of ElfinBlock is that the same construction method is employed regardless of the materials used and therefore can be achieved with minimal additional expense.
Compressor
The flexibility of ElfinBlock makes it ideal for use in Compressor applications. Firstly, there is material choice - no other extended-surface product offers greater choice of both common and exotic materials. Secondly, consider the issues possible issues associated with air dispersion, water separation and pressure drop over the core. With full CNC control of fin placement to within a few microns, the fin spacing can be varied over the length of the core and absolute positioning means stacked rows align better to minimise pressure drop. Combined with the ability to space fins at up to 36 fins per inch (only 0.7mm) or more, this makes ElfinBlock the optimum choice for high velocity air applications. Our experience has proven that approach temperatures can be reduced by the introduction of ElfinBlock.
Automotive Sport
Unlike traditional automotive core manufacturing techniques, the absence of heat during the ElfinBlock construction process prevents any softening of the components, resulting in a more robust construction. Thus, the use of hard-finished materials results in improved impact and vibration resistance. In addition to aluminium, the base tubes can also be of harder materials such as stainless steel or Titanium and with optional interspersed strengthening fins, ElfinBlock offers unparalleled levels of longevity and impact resistance for the most demanding automotive applications.
Building services
Elfin products are available in a range of configurations designed specifically for convective applications. In these cases, the tube to fin contact is very important in order to maximise the convection process in use. For perimeter heating applications there are square finned tubes for use in trenches and LST enclosures. More recently, the ‘Elfinesse’ range of architectural finned tubes has been developed. These are produced with aesthetics in mind, with pleasing and unusual shapes and surface finishes, to complement any living space.
Similarly for cooling applications, Elfin Technology offer a very efficient passive chilled beam block which has been shown by independent testing to exhibit superior heat transfer to a conventionally manufactured product.
Elfin technology is used by (to name but a few):
Atlas Copco
Magnox Electric
Hiross
First Hydro Electric
Roots
Rolls Royce Nuclear
CompAir
BOC Gases Europe
ABB Daimler Benz
Elliott Turbo Machinery
See the Options page for a list of available sizes, shapes and materials etc.
Elfin Options
Tube and Fin Materials
Common Materials:
Exotic Materials:
Unusual Materials:
Aluminium
Aluminium Brass
Admiralty Brass
Copper
Copper-Nickel
Steel
Stainless Steel etc.
Hastelloy
Inconel
Monel
Niobium
Tantalum
Titanium
Zirconium etc.
Carbon-Fibre
Ceramic
Plastic etc.
Tube and Fin Shapes
Tube Shapes:
Fin Shapes:
Round
Oval / Elliptical
Teardrop
Round
Oval / Elliptical
Teardrop
Square / Rectangular
Wave
Enhancements
Fin Enhancement:
Tube Enhancement:
Crack & Raise
Louvres
Vortex
Rippled
Dimpled
Ribbed
Internally Rifled
Internally Profiled
Double Wall
Layout
Tube Pattern:
Square Layout
Triangular Layout
Custom Layout
Applied Cooling Technology Ltd
Group Parent Company
Britannia Heatex Ltd
Elfin Technology Ltd
Britannia Heatex is a wholly owned subsidiary of ACT and is the engineering arm of the business, specialising in the design and manufacture of air-blast and shell & tube heat exchangers for Marine, Power Generation, Compressor, Chemical and Off-Shore and many other applications. Innovative heat transfer solutions in Stainless Steel and Titanium are a speciality of the company.
For more information, see
www.britheat.co.uk
Elfin Technology is a wholly owned subsidiary of ACT and is responsible for the ongoing development and manufacture of the patented Elfin extended surface products. New technologies coming to market include high-performance automotive radiators and coolers, and both commercial and decorative HVAC products such as best-of-breed ceiling-mounted ‘chill beam’ units and floor mounted perimetric heating products etc.
For more information, see
www.elfin.co.uk
Dri-Seal Longevity Products
Computube Special Products
The Dri-Seal range of products has been designed as a cost-effective means to enhance the longevity of both shell & tube and air-blast heat exchangers. The range of patented technologies includes tubeplate protection, tube-end protection and non-destructive tube sealing.
For more information, see
www.driseal.co.uk
As a component supplier to the heat exchanger manufacturing industry, Computube's range of products compliments the ACT Group's other activities in this area. Computube specialise in short lead-time and breakdown requirements, able to supply components such as tubes, u-tubes, ferrules and packings in a matter of hours from order receipt.
For more information, see
www.computube.co.uk
Contact-Us
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and will not be passed to any other organisation.
Contact us now to discuss your requirements:
Elfin Technology Ltd
36-38 Coleshill Industrial Estate
Station Road
Coleshill
Birmingham B46 1JP
United Kingdom
Telephone: +44 (01675) 467587
Facsimile: +44 (01675) 464908
E-mail: info@elfin.co.uk |
