Heat Exchanger Mount with Internal Flow Passages for Thermal Stress
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Additively manufactured heat exchangers experience reduced service life due to high cycle fatigue, low cycle fatigue, and thermal stress, particularly at the attachment between traditional mounts and the heat exchanger core, which are exacerbated by high thermal gradients and vibrational loads.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating internal flow passages within the mount structure of the heat exchanger, allowing fluid to flow through the mount, which helps maintain a uniform temperature and reduces thermal gradients, thereby enhancing the mount's structural integrity and thermal stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If traditional mounts are used to attach the heat exchanger core, then structural support is provided, but thermal stress and fatigue increase due to high thermal gradients
Solution Approach 1:
The mount structure is divided into multiple segments including a first mount portion and a second mount portion, with internal flow passages creating additional thermal management zones. This segmentation allows different regions to handle thermal loads independently, reducing stress concentration at attachment points while maintaining structural support.
Solution Approach 2:
The internal flow passages act as an intermediary thermal management system between the hot and cold fluid pathways. By introducing a dedicated thermal equalization channel within the mount structure, thermal gradients are reduced without compromising the mechanical attachment function, thereby extending service life.
2Strength
If the mount structure is added to support the heat exchanger, then structural integrity is improved, but thermal gradients increase causing higher thermal stress
Solution Approach 1:
The mount structure incorporates internal flow passages that create localized thermal management zones. The first and second mount portions have different thermal characteristics optimized for their respective locations, with the internal passages providing targeted cooling or heating to reduce thermal gradients at critical stress points while maintaining overall structural integrity.
3Productivity
If fluid flow paths are extended to improve heat transfer, then heat transfer efficiency increases, but device volume increases
Solution Approach 1:
The internal flow passages are nested within the mount structure itself, utilizing the existing structural volume for dual purposes: mechanical support and thermal management. This nesting approach extends the effective heat transfer path length without increasing the overall device envelope, as the flow passages are contained within the mount's internal geometry.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The internal flow passages stabilize the mount structure under thermal transients, reduce thermal stress, and improve heat transfer efficiency, while also allowing for more compact packaging and improved fluid mixing characteristics.
Implementation Method 1
Incorporating internal flow passages within the mount structure of the heat exchanger, allowing fluid to flow through the mount, which helps maintain a uniform temperature and reduces thermal gradients
Implementation Method 2
allowing fluid to flow through the mount structure, which helps maintain a uniform temperature
Implementation Method 3
a first fluid may flow through a core of the heat exchanger and a second fluid may flow through an external mount of the heat exchanger
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3A
AI summary
A heat exchanger includes a first header (120) including a fluid inlet and a second header (122) positioned downstream of the first header (120) with respect to a first flow path of a first fluid and including a fluid outlet. The heat exchanger further includes a core extending from the first header (120) to the second header (122) and a mount structure (226) extending between the first header (120) and the second header (122). The core includes a plurality of core tubes. The mount structure (226) is integrally formed with a subset group of diverted tubes of the plurality of core tubes and includes one or more internal flow passages that are connected to the subset group of diverted tubes such that the one or more internal flow passages are in flow communication with the first header (120) and the second header (122) in parallel to a non-diverted portion of the core.