Patent Application
20250129996
Exemplary embodiments pertain to the art of heat exchangers and in particular to the construction of heat exchanger fin disposed between opposing heat exchanger plates.
Heat exchangers are utilized in a variety of applications, such as cooling of engines or motors, climate control (heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems) or the like. Utilizing additive manufacturing techniques, such as 3D printing or the like, in manufacturing heat exchangers allows for the manufacture of shapes and configurations of heat exchangers not easily achieved via conventional manufacturing operations.
Utilizing additive manufacturing processes, however, imposes certain geometrical constraints on the heat exchanger configuration. For instance, due to 3D printing constraints, the geometry is limited in maximum horizontal angle to about 45 degrees. This results in longer transition from a header to the high surface area sections of a heat exchanger body, thus lowering overall effectiveness of the heat exchanger (HX), or alternatively requiring additional supports to be incorporated to the structure during manufacture. The additional supports may be difficult to access and remove in the locations inside of the unit once manufacture of the heat exchanger is completed.
In one exemplary embodiment, a heat exchanger includes a plurality of heat exchanger plates stacked along a stacking axis defining a plurality of first pathways through which a first fluid is directed, and a plurality of fins located between adjacent first pathways of the plurality of first pathways. The plurality of fins at least partially define a plurality of second pathways through which a second fluid is directed. The heat exchanger plates are formed from a sheet material, and the plurality of fins are formed from one or more additive manufacturing processes.
Additionally or alternatively, in this or other embodiments a plurality of plate openings are located in the plurality of heat exchanger plates, and a fin of the plurality of fins is formed extending into each of the plurality of plate openings to secure the plurality of fins to the heat exchanger plate.
Additionally or alternatively, in this or other embodiments a fin thickness of the plurality of fins varies along a fin height direction.
Additionally or alternatively, in this or other embodiments a fin of the plurality of fins is formed with one or more porous areas internal to the fin.
Additionally or alternatively, in this or other embodiments the fin includes one or more perforations extending into the porous area to define a secondary pathway through the fin.
Additionally or alternatively, in this or other embodiments the plurality of fins are arranged in a plurality of rows. Each row extends across a flow direction of the second fluid through the plurality of second pathways.
Additionally or alternatively, in this or other embodiments one or more of a fin spacing and a fin thickness is varied between a first row of the plurality of rows and a second row of the plurality of rows.
Additionally or alternatively, in this or other embodiments a turbulator is positioned between adjacent fins of the plurality of fins.
Additionally or alternatively, in this or other embodiments the heat exchanger plates are formed from a sheet metal material.
Additionally or alternatively, in this or other embodiments the plurality of heat exchanger plates define a plurality of heat exchanger layers along the stacking axis, and a first heat exchanger layer of the plurality of heat exchanger layers includes the plurality of fins formed from one or more additive manufacturing processes. A second heat exchanger layer of the plurality of heat exchanger layers includes a plurality of fins formed not from one or more additive manufacturing processes.
Additionally or alternatively, in this or other embodiments the heat exchanger is one of a cross-flow heat exchanger, a counterflow heat exchanger or a parallel flow heat exchanger.
In another exemplary embodiment, a method of forming a heat exchanger includes stacking a plurality of heat exchanger plates along a stacking axis thereby defining a plurality of first fluid pathways through which a first fluid is directed and positioning a plurality of fins between adjacent first fluid pathways to at least partially define a plurality of second fluid pathways through which a second fluid is directed. The heat exchanger plates are formed from a sheet material, and the plurality of fins are formed from one or more additive manufacturing processes.
Additionally or alternatively, in this or other embodiments a plurality of plate openings are formed in the plurality of heat exchanger plates, and a fin of the plurality of fins is formed to extend into each of the plurality of plate openings to secure the plurality of fins to the heat exchanger plate.
Additionally or alternatively, in this or other embodiments a fin thickness of the plurality of fins is varied along a fin height direction.
Additionally or alternatively, in this or other embodiments a fin of the plurality of fins is formed with one or more porous areas internal to the fin.
Additionally or alternatively, in this or other embodiments the fin includes one or more perforations extending into the porous area to define a secondary pathway through the fin.
Additionally or alternatively, in this or other embodiments the plurality of fins are arranged in a plurality of rows. Each row extends across a flow direction of the second fluid through the plurality of second pathways.
Additionally or alternatively, in this or other embodiments one or more of a fin spacing and a fin thickness is varied between a first row of the plurality of rows and a second row of the plurality of rows.
Additionally or alternatively, in this or other embodiments the heat exchanger plates are formed from a sheet metal material.
Additionally or alternatively, in this or other embodiments the one or more additive manufacturing processes includes 3D printing.
The following descriptions should not be considered limiting in any way. With reference to the accompanying drawings, like elements are numbered alike:
A detailed description of one or more embodiments of the disclosed apparatus and method are presented herein by way of exemplification and not limitation with reference to the Figures.
Referring now to
To enhance performance of the heat exchanger 10, fins 26 or other features extend at least partially across the second pathways 22. While the fins 26 are illustrated herein to be in the second pathways 22, one skilled in the art will appreciate that fins 26 may alternatively or additionally be located in the first pathways 18. The fins 26 act to increase turbulence in the fluid flow and also to increase an effective heat exchange surface, thereby improving a heat transfer rate of the heat exchanger 10.
The heat exchanger plates 14 are, for example, sheet metal plates or plates formed from other materials having the desired heat transfer properties for heat exchanger 10 performance. The fins 26 are formed by one or more additive manufacturing processes, such as 3D printing. In some embodiments, the fins 26 are formed by additive manufacturing in place on the heat exchanger plates 14 prior to stacking of the heat exchanger plates 14. The heat exchanger plates 14 may include plate openings 28 or perforations therein, with the fins 26 partially extending into the plate openings 28 to adhere the fins 26 to the heat exchanger plates 14. While in some embodiments, all of the fins 26 are formed from additive manufacturing processes, in some embodiments the heat exchanger 10 may include a combination of additively-manufacture fins and traditionally manufactured fins. While in some embodiments, the heat exchanger plates 14 include plate openings 28, in other embodiments the heat exchanger plates 14 are continuous and do not include plate openings 28. For example, additively-manufactured fins 26 and traditionally manufactured fins may be utilized in alternating layers of the heat exchanger 10.
Such hybrid construction of the heat exchanger 10 allows for different and varying configurations of fins 26 in the layers of the heat exchanger 10. In one embodiment, in
Other exemplary configurations of fins 26 are illustrated in
Forming the fins 26 via one or more additive manufacturing processes enables a variety of arrangements and distributions of fins 26 as illustrated in
Referring now to
Such hybrid construction of the heat exchanger 10, with heat exchanger plates 14 and fins 26 formed from one or more additive manufacturing processes extending between adjacent heat exchanger plates 14, improves thermal performance of the heat exchanger 10 while enabling a reduction in weight. Further, use of conventional heat exchanger plates 14 reduces pressure losses on the heat exchanger plates 14 due to low surface roughness of the heat exchanger plates 14. Further, the hybrid construction enables incorporation of advantageous aspects of both plate and additive manufacturing heat exchanger configurations while controlling cost of the heat exchanger 10.
The term “about” is intended to include the degree of error associated with measurement of the particular quantity based upon the equipment available at the time of filing the application.
The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the present disclosure. As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, element components, and/or groups thereof.
While the present disclosure has been described with reference to an exemplary embodiment or embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the present disclosure without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the present disclosure not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed as the best mode contemplated for carrying out this present disclosure, but that the present disclosure will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the claims.
