Heat Exchanger Flexible Manifold Layered Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Modern aircraft engines impose high thermal stresses on heat exchangers due to elevated temperatures and material discontinuities at the manifold/core interface, leading to short service lives.
Innovation Solution
A heat exchanger design featuring a manifold with individual layers providing gradual transitions across the manifold/core interface, constructed via additive manufacturing to eliminate geometric, stiffness, mass, and material discontinuities, allowing continuous, homogeneous transitions and reducing thermal stress.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stress or pressure
If thick manifolds are used to meet pressure requirements, then pressure containment is improved, but geometric, stiffness, mass and material discontinuities increase causing higher thermal stress
Solution Approach 1:
The manifold is divided into multiple discrete layers (first manifold layer, second manifold layer, third manifold layer) that are stacked and bonded together. This segmentation allows each layer to be optimized for specific functions while collectively providing both pressure containment and thermal stress resistance through the distributed structure.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the manifold have different thicknesses and properties. The manifold transitions from thicker regions near the core interface to thinner regions at the exterior, creating local quality variations that reduce thermal stress discontinuities while maintaining sufficient pressure containment where needed.
Solution Approach 3:
The manifold is constructed as a composite structure with multiple layers that may have different material properties, thicknesses, and geometries. This composite approach allows optimization of both pressure containment (through the collective structure) and thermal stress resistance (through graduated thickness transitions).
2Ease of manufacture
If welded or bolted connections are used at the manifold/core interface, then assembly is simplified, but geometric and stiffness discontinuities are created increasing thermal stress
Solution Approach 1:
The manifold layers are bonded to each other and to the core to form an integrated, monolithic structure. This merging eliminates the discrete welded or bolted connections that create stiffness discontinuities, while the bonded joints provide sufficient assembly simplicity through adhesive bonding processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The multi-layer manifold structure creates a more homogeneous transition zone between the core and exterior regions. The gradual thickness variation across layers provides continuous stiffness and geometric transitions, reducing the homogeneity disruption that would occur with abrupt welded or bolted joints.
Data Source
AI summary
A heat exchanger is provided. The heat exchanger includes a core that receives a plurality of mediums. The heat exchanger includes a manifold. The manifold includes a first end that receives a first medium of the plurality of mediums. The manifold includes a second end that intersects the core at a manifold/core interface. The manifold includes a plurality of individual layers that provide gradual transitions for the first medium from the first end to the second end to reduce or eliminate discontinuities at the manifold/core interface that cause stress to the heat exchanger.