Rifled tube: An effective answer in many applications
In the 1970s and early 80s, as the cost of energy began to dramatically increase, the demand for energy-efficient air conditioning products also increased. The heat exchanger industry’s contribution to the effort was the commercialization of rifled-tube heat exchangers in the early 1980s.
Before rifled tubing, the designer typically added more heat exchanger surface to raise the efficiency of an air conditioner. Now, because of the improved heat transfer characteristics of rifled tubing, designers can increase efficiency without expanding the size of air conditioning units.