Segmented Heat Exchanger for Precision Cooling Passage Manufacturing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional heat exchanger manufacturing techniques face challenges in creating close tolerance cooling passages, especially in cylindrical combustors with small diameters, where forming grooves and attaching face sheets are difficult, and maintaining channel integrity during welding is problematic.

Innovation Solution

The heat exchanger design features sections with channels that are preformed and aligned to maintain a consistent sidewall thickness, allowing for efficient welding and minimizing damage to channels, with welded joints extending transversely to ensure strong coupling and isolate channels for effective heat transfer.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If conventional drilling is used to create cooling passages in long sections, then passages can be formed, but the drill bit penetrates interior chamber surfaces or drifts into adjacent passages due to the length and small diameter

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepassage positioning accuracyVSAvoidpassage length

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSLength of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The heat exchanger is divided into multiple sections with channels formed in each section independently, then joined together. This segmentation allows each section to be manufactured with controlled precision while avoiding the drilling difficulties of long continuous passages.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Channels are preformed in each section before assembly, allowing precise positioning and alignment to be established in advance. This preliminary formation ensures accurate passage positioning is maintained through the welding process.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Manufacturing precision

If grooves are formed and face sheets are attached to cover open grooves, then passages can be created, but the process becomes difficult in cylindrical combustors with small diameters and channel integrity is compromised during welding

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepassage shape accuracyVSAvoidgroove formation and face sheet attachment

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of forming grooves and attaching face sheets, the invention uses discrete sections with channels formed within each section. This eliminates the need for groove formation and face sheet attachment, simplifying manufacturing while maintaining passage accuracy.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Rather than creating passages by removing material (grooving) and covering openings (face sheets), the invention forms channels directly within sections and joins sections together, inverting the conventional approach to achieve the same functional result with better manufacturability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

3Strength

If semicircular grooves are machined in ends of parts for welding, then uniform thickness is achieved, but twice the machining is required compared to direct channel formation

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveweld joint strengthVSAvoidmanufacturing efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The heat exchanger is constructed from discrete sections that are joined together, allowing each section to be optimized independently. This segmentation enables direct channel formation without requiring additional semicircular grooves, reducing machining operations while maintaining weld strength through proper section design and alignment.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

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 design enhances the manufacturing efficiency and reliability of heat exchangers by maintaining consistent sidewall thickness, preventing channel damage during welding, and ensuring effective heat transfer by isolating channels, thus improving the overall performance and durability of the heat exchanger.

Implementation Method 1

Heat exchangers are utilized to transfer heat energy from and/or to an adjacent area. The passages are typically filled with a fluid (e.g., a gas and/or liquid) that flows through the passages providing a conduit for the heat.

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectHeat transfer: Convection

Implementation Method 2

heat exchanger including heat exchange passages (e.g., cooling passages) may be utilized to transfer heat energy away from heat generating areas of a device

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectThermal conduction: Conduction (thermal)

Implementation Method 3

An end of the second heat exchange section is joined to an end of the first heat exchange section

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectWelding: Welding

Data Source

PatentUS11768040B2Aerospace structures comprising heat exchangers, and related heat exchangers and apparatuses

Publication Date: 2023.09.26 NORTHROP GRUMMAN SYSTEMS CORP

AI summary

Heat exchangers include a first heat exchange section joined to a second heat exchange section. In some embodiments, channels of one or more of the heat exchange sections may be positioned such that adjacent channels are collinear in at least one direction. In some embodiments, sidewalls of one or more of the heat exchange sections may exhibit a substantially constant thickness along a section of the heat exchanger that includes the channels.