Microstructured Wave Profile Plates for Heat Exchanger Production
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for producing microstructure components, such as microfluidic reactors and heat exchangers, face challenges in achieving sufficient accuracy and flatness for industrial series production, particularly due to issues with corrugated profiles and dimensional accuracy in existing structuring processes.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a metal sheet being microstructured with a wave profile in the width direction using profile rollers, followed by alternating stacking with unstructured plates and vacuum brazing, where groove-shaped indentations on the wave crests and troughs enhance dimensional accuracy and reduce solder usage, allowing for precise fluid line formation and cost-effective production.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If embossing or conventional structuring processes are used to create wave profiles in metal sheets, then microstructure components can be produced, but dimensional accuracy and flatness are insufficient for industrial series production
Solution Approach 1:
The metal sheet is pre-microstructured with a wave profile and groove-shaped indentations before stacking and joining. This preliminary structuring ensures that the microstructured plates have the required dimensional accuracy and flatness before assembly, resolving the contradiction between precision and mass production suitability
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the geometric parameters of the wave profile by introducing groove-shaped indentations at the apex areas of wave crests and troughs. This parameter modification improves dimensional accuracy and flatness while maintaining compatibility with industrial production processes
2Manufacturing precision
If conventional structuring processes are used, then production can proceed, but the accuracy of fluid line cross-sections is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
Groove-shaped indentations are introduced at specific locations (apex areas of wave crests and troughs) to locally improve the quality of the wave profile. This localized modification enhances fluid line cross-section accuracy without complicating the overall production process
Solution Approach 2:
The wave profile with groove-shaped indentations is created in advance during the microstructuring step, ensuring accurate fluid line cross-sections are established before stacking and joining operations
3Reliability
If more solder is used to ensure stable connection between stacked plates, then connection stability improves, but production cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The geometry of the wave profile is modified by adding groove-shaped indentations, which change the contact surfaces and improve connection stability. This allows for reduced solder usage while maintaining reliable connections between stacked plates
Solution Approach 2:
The groove-shaped indentations create localized areas for improved solder adhesion and distribution, concentrating the bonding effect in critical areas and reducing the overall solder quantity needed for stable connections
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
This approach ensures high dimensional accuracy and flatness of the microstructured sheets, enabling a stable connection between stacked plates and precise fluid line cross-sections, making the process suitable for industrial series production with minimal solder usage.
Implementation Method 1
a wave profile being produced in the width direction, i.e. transversely to the rolling direction
Implementation Method 2
connecting the stack by means of vacuum brazing
Implementation Method 3
connecting the stack by means of vacuum brazing
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a microstructure component for conducting a fluid and to a method for the production thereof, in which a metal sheet (110) is guided through a gap between a pair of profiled rollers (100) and is thereby microstructured, wherein a wave profile (221) is created in the direction of the width, a microstructured plate (212, 216) is cut to length from the metal sheet (110), a solder (220) is applied to an unstructured plate (210, 214, 218), the microstructured plate (212, 216) and the unstructured plate (210, 214, 218) are put together to form a stack (200) and the stack (200) is connected by means of vacuum soldering. The microstructure component has microstructured plates (212, 216) and unstructured plates (210, 214, 218) stacked alternately one on top of the other, wherein the microstructured plates (212, 216) have a wave profile (221) that respectively has channel-shaped depressions (226) in the region of the crests, wherein between the microstructured plates and the unstructured plates there are soldered connections, which fill the channel-shaped depressions (226) and wherein there are formed between the plates fluid lines (230, 232), which are respectively bounded in the circumferential direction by a first surface of the microstructured plate (212, 216) and a second surface of the unstructured plate (210, 214, 218).