Heat exchanger including passageways

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10209009-B2
Application number	US-201715397234-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 3, 2017
Priority date	Jun 21, 2016
Publication date	Feb 19, 2019
Grant date	Feb 19, 2019

Abstract

A heat exchanger includes a core defining a first passageway and a second passageway. The core includes a plurality of unit cells coupled together. Each unit cell of the plurality of unit cells includes a first wall and a second wall. The second wall is spaced from the first wall. The first wall at least partially defines a first passageway portion and a second passageway portion. The second wall at least partially defines the second passageway portion. The second wall extends about the first wall such that the first passageway portion is nested within the second passageway portion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A heat exchanger comprising:
a core defining a first passageway and a second passageway, said core comprising:
a plurality of unit cells coupled together, each unit cell of said plurality of unit cells comprising a first wall and a second wall, said second wall spaced from said first wall, said first wall at least partially defining a first passageway portion and a second passageway portion, said second wall at least partially defining said second passageway portion, wherein said second wall extends about said first wall such that said first passageway portion is nested within said second passageway portion, wherein said plurality of unit cells are coupled in flow communication with each other such that at least one unit cell of said plurality of unit cells is configured to receive fluid from at least three other unit cells of said plurality of unit cells.

2. The heat exchanger in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said core defines a third passageway, said second wall at least partially defining a third passageway portion.

3. A heat exchanger comprising:
a core defining a first passageway and a second passageway, said core comprising:
a plurality of unit cells coupled together, each unit cell of said plurality of unit cells comprising a first wall and a second wall, said second wall spaced from said first wall, said first wall at least partially defining a first passageway portion and a second passageway portion, said second wall at least partially defining said second passageway portion, wherein said second wall extends about said first wall such that said first passageway portion is nested within said second passageway portion, wherein said core defines a third passageway, said second wall at least partially defining a third passageway portion, and wherein each unit cell of said plurality of unit cells further comprises a third wall, said second wall and said third wall at least partially defining said third passageway portion, wherein said third wall surrounds said second wall such that said second passageway portion is nested within said third passageway portion.

4. The heat exchanger in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said second wall surrounds said first wall such that said second passageway portion forms an annulus.

5. The heat exchanger in accordance with claim 4 , wherein said second passageway portion has a polygonal annulus cross-sectional shape.

6. The heat exchanger in accordance with claim 2 further comprising a manifold portion for a first fluid and a second fluid to flow through, wherein said core is coupled to said manifold portion such that the first fluid flows through at least one of said first passageway and said third passageway and such that the second fluid flows through said second passageway.

7. The heat exchanger in accordance with claim 6 , wherein said plurality of unit cells are configured such that the first fluid and the second fluid flow through said core in at least one of the following flow configurations: counter-flow, parallel flow, cross-flow, and hybrid flow.

8. The heat exchanger in accordance with claim 6 , wherein said manifold portion is configured for a third fluid to flow through, wherein said core is coupled to said manifold portion such that the first fluid flows through said first passageway and the third fluid flows through said third passageway.

9. The heat exchanger in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said first wall defines at least one first inlet for fluid to enter said first passageway portion and at least one first outlet for fluid to exit said first passageway portion.

10. The heat exchanger in accordance with claim 9 , wherein said first wall and said second wall define at least one second inlet for fluid to enter said second passageway portion and at least one second outlet for fluid to exit said second passageway portion.

11. The heat exchanger in accordance with claim 2 , wherein said first passageway and said third passageway are coupled to a plenum such that said first passageway is in fluid communication with said third passageway.

12. The heat exchanger in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said second passageway is configured to contain a stationary fluid such that the stationary fluid resides within said second passageway and is in heat transfer communication with a fluid flowing through at least one of said first passageway and said second passageway.

13. A heat exchanger comprising:
a core defining a first passageway for a first fluid to flow through and a second passageway for a second fluid to flow through, said core comprising:
a first unit cell comprising a first sidewall and a second sidewall, said first sidewall at least partially defining a first passageway first portion and a second passageway first portion, said second sidewall at least partially defining said second passageway first portion, wherein said second sidewall extends about said first sidewall such that said first passageway first portion is nested within said second passageway first portion; and
a second unit cell comprising a third sidewall at least partially defining a first passageway second portion and a second passageway second portion, said second unit cell coupled to said first unit cell, wherein said first unit cell is configured to enable the first fluid to flow from said first passageway first portion to said first passageway second portion, wherein said second unit cell further comprises a fourth sidewall, said fourth sidewall at least partially defining said second passageway second portion, wherein where said first passageway second portion is nested within said second passageway second portion.

14. The heat exchanger in accordance with claim 13 , wherein said core further defines a third passageway, said first unit cell further comprising a fourth sidewall at least partially defining said second passageway first portion and a third passageway first portion, wherein said second passageway first portion is nested within said third passageway first portion.

15. The heat exchanger in accordance with claim 14 , wherein said third passageway is in fluid communication with said first passageway.

16. The heat exchanger in accordance with claim 14 further comprising a manifold portion for a first fluid and a second fluid to flow through, wherein said core is coupled to said manifold portion such that the first fluid flows through at least one of said first passageway and said third passageway and the second fluid flows through said second passageway.

17. The heat exchanger in accordance with claim 13 , wherein said second sidewall surrounds said first sidewall such that said second passageway first portion forms an annulus.

18. The heat exchanger in accordance with claim 13 , wherein said second passageway first portion has a polygonal annulus cross-sectional shape.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Gerstler William Dwight
• Kupiszewski Thomas
• Kenworthy Michael Thomas
• Erno Daniel Jason

Classifications

• H10W40/73

  for cooling by change of state · CPC title

• F28D15/0233

  the conduits having a particular shape, e.g. non-circular cross-section, annular (F28D15/0241, F28D15/0266 take precedence) · CPC title

• H05K7/20336

  Heat pipes, e.g. wicks or capillary pumps · CPC title

• F28D7/0066

  Multi-circuit heat-exchangers, e.g. integrating different heat exchange sections in the same unit or heat-exchangers for more than two fluids (F28D7/103 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F28D15/0266

  with separate evaporating and condensing chambers connected by at least one conduit; Loop-type heat pipes; with multiple or common evaporating or condensing chambers (F28D15/043 takes precedence) · CPC title