Integrated Heat Exchanger Header Horns for Thermal Stress Relief

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Solution Overview

Problem

Heat exchangers operating at elevated temperatures face reduced service life due to thermal stress, particularly at the interface between headers and the core, and existing support structures can complicate additive manufacturing and induce thermal stress during operation.

Innovation Solution

The integration of primary and secondary horns with a sacrificial support structure allows for additive manufacturing in a near-vertical orientation, reducing thermal stress and enabling efficient heat transfer while allowing for post-manufacture removal of the support structure.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If traditional support structures are used during additive manufacturing, then manufacturing complexity increases and thermal stress increases during operation, but structural support during building is provided

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveadditive manufacturing capabilityVSAvoidservice life at elevated temperatures

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the support structure function from the final heat exchanger design by using sacrificial support structures that are removed after manufacturing. This allows the support structures to serve their temporary manufacturing purpose without remaining to cause thermal stress during operation, thereby resolving the contradiction between manufacturing capability and operational reliability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies discarding by designing sacrificial support structures that are intentionally removed after additive manufacturing is complete. These support structures are discarded because they serve no functional purpose in the final product and would otherwise harm operational reliability by inducing thermal stress, thus enabling complex geometries to be manufactured without compromising service life

Inventive Principle:

Principle #34Discarding and recovering

2Reliability

If internal support structures are removed from the heat exchanger, then thermal stress during operation is reduced, but removal difficulty increases and may be impossible

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveservice life at elevated temperaturesVSAvoidsupport structure removal

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses sacrificial support structures made from materials that are easier to remove than the heat exchanger material itself. These disposable support structures are designed to be removed through processes like chemical etching or mechanical means, making the removal process feasible even for complex internal geometries that would otherwise be inaccessible

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces sacrificial support structures as intermediary elements that facilitate the additive manufacturing process but are not part of the final functional design. These intermediaries enable the creation of complex geometries during manufacturing and are subsequently removed, solving the contradiction between manufacturing capability and ease of removal

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Volume of moving object

If headers and core interface is designed for compactness, then heat exchanger size is reduced, but thermal stress concentration increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveheat exchanger sizeVSAvoidthermal stress at header-core interface

Core Design Contradiction:

Volume of moving objectVSStress or pressure

Solution Approach 1:

The patent incorporates horn structures with curved geometries at the header-core interface instead of sharp corners or abrupt transitions. These curved transitions distribute thermal stress more evenly across the interface, reducing stress concentration while maintaining compact dimensions. The smooth curvature allows for better stress distribution without increasing the overall volume of the heat exchanger

Inventive Principle:

Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

Data Source

PatentUS11666994B2Integrated horn structures for heat exchanger headers

Publication Date: 2023.06.06 HAMILTON SUNDSTRAND CORP

AI summary

A heat exchanger header includes a primary fluid duct extending between a fluid port and a first branched region, a plurality of secondary fluid ducts fluidly connected to the primary fluid duct at the first branched region, wherein an overhang region is formed laterally between adjacent ones of the plurality of secondary fluid ducts, and wherein each of the plurality of secondary fluid ducts extends between the first branched region and a second branched region, a plurality of tertiary fluid ducts fluidly connected to each of the plurality of secondary fluid ducts at the second branched regions, a primary horn integrally formed with and extending from the overhang region, an at least one secondary horn integrally formed with and extending from one of the plurality of tertiary fluid ducts, and a sacrificial support structure extending between the primary horn and the at least one secondary horn.