The Development History of Air Conditioner Condensers
Apr 13, 2026| Air conditioner condensers have undergone several generations of structural evolution. The first generation was the tube-fin type, consisting of copper tubes with aluminum fins.
The second generation was the tube-strip type, which involved bending extruded aluminum flat tubes into a serpentine shape and welding on strip-shaped aluminum fins. By eliminating copper and using only aluminum, along with optimized refrigerant channel structure, heat dissipation efficiency was improved, and weight was significantly reduced.
The third generation is the parallel flow structure, a major improvement on the tube-strip type. The hydraulic radius of the aluminum flat tubes was further reduced to enhance heat transfer on the refrigerant side. Manifolds were added to both sides of the condenser, and the refrigerant channels were designed according to the decreasing volume of the refrigerant from gaseous to liquid states, further improving heat dissipation efficiency. This allowed for a thinner condenser design, reduced air resistance, and lighter weight.
Parallel flow condenser technology has reached a considerably high level, and further major breakthroughs in the overall structure are unlikely. Improvements will focus on better distributing the refrigerant channels.