Microstructure Sheet Heat Exchanger Using Stamping and Diffusion Bonding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional microchannel sheet heat exchangers have high material consumption, high manufacturing costs, low production efficiency, and environmental pollution due to the physical or chemical etching process used to form refrigerant and working fluid channels.
Innovation Solution
A heat exchanger is designed using microstructure sheets with hollow protrusions and gaskets, formed through a stamping process and atomic diffusion bonding, which alternately stack to reduce production costs and environmental impact while improving efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If physical or chemical etching process is used to form refrigerant and working fluid channels, then heat exchanger functionality is achieved, but material consumption increases, manufacturing costs increase, production efficiency decreases, and environmental pollution occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the chemical etching process with a mechanical stamping process to form the microchannels and hollow protrusions. The stamping process uses mechanical pressure to directly form the channels and structures, eliminating the need for chemical reagents and etching steps, thereby improving production efficiency and reducing environmental pollution while maintaining manufacturing precision
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the forming method from chemical etching to mechanical stamping, altering the process parameters from chemical concentration, temperature, and etching time to mechanical pressure, stamping force, and mold geometry. This parameter change enables faster production cycles and eliminates chemical waste while achieving the required channel precision
2Manufacturing precision
If physical or chemical etching process is used to form refrigerant and working fluid channels, then heat exchanger functionality is achieved, but material consumption increases and manufacturing costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The stamping process forms channels and structures by mechanical displacement of material rather than removal through etching. This eliminates material loss from chemical consumption and waste generation, while the precise stamping molds ensure accurate channel dimensions and geometry are achieved
3Manufacturing precision
If physical or chemical etching process is used to form refrigerant and working fluid channels, then heat exchanger functionality is achieved, but manufacturing costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The mechanical stamping process eliminates expensive chemical etching reagents, specialized etching equipment, and complex chemical waste treatment systems. The stamping process uses conventional mechanical pressing equipment, reducing capital investment and operational costs while maintaining precision through well-established stamping mold technology
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes from a multi-step chemical process requiring controlled temperature, concentration, and time parameters to a single-step or few-step mechanical stamping process with simpler pressure and duration control, reducing manufacturing complexity and cost
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 solution significantly reduces production costs, increases efficiency, and minimizes environmental pollution by using a stamping process and atomic diffusion bonding, resulting in a heat exchanger with improved heat exchange performance and lower thermal resistance.
Implementation Method 1
combining each of the gaskets for microstructure sheets with the edge region through an atomic diffusion bonding process to form a working fluid channel sheet
Implementation Method 2
Heat exchangers transfer part of heat of hot working fluids to cold working fluids
Data Source
AI summary
A heat exchanger and a manufacturing method therefor. The heat exchanger includes multiple microstructure sheets, each of the microstructure sheets including a heat exchange region with a microstructure and an edge region with an inlet region and an outlet region, and the microstructure comprising multiple hollow protrusions; and multiple gaskets for microstructure sheets, each of the gaskets for microstructure sheets having an inlet port and an outlet port respectively corresponding to the inlet region and the outlet region, and the multiple gaskets for microstructure sheets being alternately stacked with the multiple edge regions. Compared with a traditional etching process, the heat exchanger has expanded options for a forming process, and the process is simple, low in production cost, high in production efficiency, and low in environmental pollution.