Printed Circuit Heat Exchanger Bonding for Wide Mini-Channels
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge in manufacturing printed circuit heat exchangers is that diffusion bonding of plates with large mini-channels often results in inadequate bonding due to uneven pressure application, leading to reduced heat transfer efficiency and increased pressure loss.
Innovation Solution
The solution involves forming a heat exchanger with a large fluid flow area by creating a connection flow path with a wider cross-sectional area, allowing for improved diffusion bonding and uniform flow distribution, which enhances heat transfer efficiency and reduces pressure loss by ensuring adequate bonding across the entire surface.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If the width of mini-channels is increased to increase surface area and reduce pressure loss, then heat transfer efficiency improves, but diffusion bonding becomes insufficient due to uneven pressure application
Solution Approach 1:
The heat exchanger is divided into multiple plate modules, each containing mini-channels. By segmenting the structure into discrete plates that are individually bonded, the system achieves large overall flow areas while maintaining adequate bonding pressure at each plate interface. This segmentation allows the flow path width to be increased without compromising bonding quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different structural characteristics to different parts of the heat exchanger. The mini-channels have optimized local dimensions for heat transfer, while the bonding interfaces maintain sufficient contact area and pressure distribution. This local quality differentiation enables large channel widths in flow paths while ensuring adequate bonding at plate interfaces.
2Area of moving object
If the width of mini-channels is increased to increase surface area, then heat transfer efficiency improves, but bonding uniformity deteriorates due to pressure distribution issues
Solution Approach 1:
By dividing the heat exchanger into multiple separate plates with mini-channels, each plate can be manufactured and bonded independently. This segmentation ensures uniform bonding across each plate interface while allowing the overall surface area to be increased by adding more plates or increasing channel dimensions within each plate.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a single large integrated structure to a multi-plate stacked configuration. This dimensional reorganization allows the surface area to be expanded in the stacking direction while maintaining consistent bonding conditions at each interface, thereby achieving large heat exchange area without compromising bonding uniformity.
3Productivity
If large width flow paths are formed to reduce pressure loss, then fluid flow efficiency improves, but bonding reliability decreases due to insufficient pressure application
Solution Approach 1:
The heat exchanger structure is segmented into multiple plates with optimized mini-channel flow paths. Each plate maintains sufficient bonding surface area for reliable diffusion bonding, while the overall system provides large flow areas through the stacked configuration. This segmentation enables high fluid flow efficiency without compromising bonding reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent optimizes the dimensional parameters of the mini-channels and plate thickness to achieve a balance between flow efficiency and bonding reliability. By carefully controlling channel width, plate thickness, and bonding interface area, the system achieves large flow paths for reduced pressure loss while maintaining sufficient bonding pressure and contact area.
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 increases heat transfer efficiency, reduces pressure loss, and ensures uniform flow distribution, thereby improving the structural integrity and performance of the heat exchanger.
Implementation Method 1
a first bonding plate diffusion-bonded to the first plate to cover the first flow path portion
Implementation Method 2
the first flow path member and the second flow path member are diffusion-bonded to each other
Data Source
AI summary
A heat exchanger includes a first flow path member including a first plate having a first flow path portion providing a plurality of flow paths through which a first fluid flows, and a first bonding plate diffusion-bonded to the first plate to cover the first flow path portion; and a second flow path member including a second plate having a second flow path portion providing a plurality of flow paths through which a second fluid for exchanging heat with the first fluid flows. The first flow path member and the second flow path member are diffusion-bonded to each other.