Component with differing material properties

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11091848-B2
Application number	US-201715592717-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 11, 2017
Priority date	May 11, 2017
Publication date	Aug 17, 2021
Grant date	Aug 17, 2021

Abstract

A component can be formed having an integral monolithic body. The integral monolithic body can be formed utilizing electroforming processes such as electrodeposition of metal alloys. The electroformed monolithic body can be formed utilizing multiple anodes powered by multiple power sources. The monolithic body can have differing local material properties determined during formation of the component.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of forming a heat exchanger, the method comprising:
coupling a base plate and a manifold section to a sacrificial mold having an outer surface defining a cathode, the sacrificial mold including a set of return manifolds, at least one manifold connection, and a set of fluid passage channel structures;
providing at least two anodes;
forming, with a controller connected to the at least two anodes, a monolithic component by way of electroforming over the outer surface of the sacrificial mold and the base plate utilizing a single metal constituent solution, and wherein the monolithic component includes at least two discrete zones, complementary to the at least two anodes, with each discrete zone of the at least two discrete zones having differing local material properties within a single layer, the discrete zones having the differing local material properties realized by controlling a local concentration or a crystalline formation during the electroforming of the single layer via the controller connected to the at least two anodes; and
removing the sacrificial mold to define the heat exchanger having the monolithic component with a set of fluid passages at least some of which are fluidly coupled via the set of return manifolds.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the single metal constituent solution includes an aluminum alloy or a nickel alloy.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the cathode comprises multiple cathodes.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the electroforming comprises utilizing a pulsed current or a pulsed reverse current.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein controlling the local concentration comprises at least one of providing a barrier shield, varying an amount of reverse current, or modulating a pulse width.

6. The method of claim 3 wherein the electroforming further comprises electroforming a metallic layer utilizing multiple power supplies for at least some anodes of the multiple anodes.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein forming the monolithic component further comprises controlling by electrodeposition an amount of a specified metal in a first zone of the monolithic component wherein the first zone of the monolithic component has an increased thermal conductivity compared to another zone of the monolithic component.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the forming the monolithic component further comprises controlling by electrodeposition an amount of a specified metal in a second zone of the monolithic component wherein the second zone of the monolithic component has an increased tensile strength compared to the first zone.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein a current density from the at least two anodes can be varied to change the local material properties within each discrete zone of the at least two discrete zones.

10. A method of forming a heat exchanger, the method comprising:
attaching at least one sacrificial mold having an outer surface to a base plate, wherein the at least one sacrificial mold includes a set of return manifolds, at least one manifold connection, and a set of fluid passage channel structures;
electroforming a single metallic layer over exposed outer surfaces of the base plate and the outer surface of the sacrificial mold with a set of anodes including at least two anodes, wherein the electroforming includes controlling an amount of a first specified metal or a crystalline formation in a first zone of the single metallic layer with a first anode of the set of anodes to form a first portion of the heat exchanger, and controlling an amount of a second specified metal or a crystalline formation in a second zone of the single metallic layer with a second anode of the set of anodes to form a second portion of the heat exchanger, the first zone being discrete from the second zone and the first zone and the second zone having differing material properties; and
removing the at least one sacrificial mold to define the heat exchanger having a unitary component including the first portion and the second portion and a set of fluid passages at least some of which are fluidly coupled via the set of return manifolds.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the electroforming comprises electroforming from a single metal constituent solution.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the single metal constituent solution includes an aluminum alloy or a nickel alloy.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the electroforming comprises utilizing multiple cathodes to form the first zone and the second zone.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the electroforming comprises utilizing a pulsed current or a pulsed reverse current.

15. The method of claim 13 , further comprising controlling a local concentration of an alloying metal at one of the multiple cathodes.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein controlling the local concentration comprises utilizing a barrier shield to control the local concentration.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein the electroforming the single metallic layer comprises utilizing multiple power supplies for at least some anodes of the set of anodes.

18. The method of claim 10 , further comprising metalizing at least one of an exposed portion of the base plate or an exposed portion of the outer surface of the at least one sacrificial mold before electroforming.

19. The method of claim 10 wherein the first zone has an increased thermal conductivity compared to a remainder of the unitary component.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the second zone has an increased tensile strength compared to another remainder of the unitary component.

Assignees

• Unison Ind Llc

Inventors

• Tajiri Gordan
• Templeton Donald
• Jonnalagadda Dattu G V
• Yang Yanzhe

Classifications

• F28F9/0253

  with multiple channels, e.g. with combined inflow and outflow channels · CPC title

• B21D53/08

  of both metal tubes and sheet metal (connecting tubes in openings B21D39/06) · CPC title

• F28D1/0391

  a single plate being bent to form one or more conduits · CPC title

• F28F1/40

  the means being only inside the tubular element · CPC title

• F28F9/26

  Arrangements for connecting different sections of heat-exchange elements, e.g. of radiators (connecting different sections in water heaters F24H9/14 {, connecting headers with inlet or outlet fittings F28F9/0246}) · CPC title