Heat exchangers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017198977-A1
Application number	US-201614994518-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 13, 2016
Priority date	Jan 13, 2016
Publication date	Jul 13, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A heat exchanger includes a body, a plurality of first flow channels defined in the body; and a plurality of second flow channels defined in the body. The second flow channels are fluidly isolated from the first flow channels. The first flow channels and second flow channels are arranged in a checkerboard pattern.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A heat exchanger, comprising:
a body; a plurality of first flow channels defined in the body; and a plurality of second flow channels defined in the body, the second flow channels fluidly isolated from the first flow channels, wherein the first flow channels and second flow channels are arranged in a checkerboard pattern.

2 . The heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein the first and/or second flow channels can include a changing flow area along a length of the body.

3 . The heat exchanger of claim 2 , wherein the changing flow area increases a first flow area toward a first flow outlet of the heat exchanger.

4 . The heat exchanger of claim 3 , wherein the changing flow area decreases a second flow area toward the first flow outlet as the first flow area increases.

5 . The heat exchanger of claim 2 , wherein the first and/or second flow channels include a changing flow area shape.

6 . The heat exchanger of claim 5 , wherein the changing flow area shape includes a first polygonal flow area at a first flow inlet which transitions to a second polygonal flow area having more sides at a first flow outlet.

7 . The heat exchanger of claim 5 , wherein the changing flow area shape includes a first polygonal flow area at a second flow inlet which transitions to a second polygonal flow area having more sides at a second flow outlet.

8 . The heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein the first and/or second flow channels include at least one of a rhombus shape, a hexagonal shape, or an octagonal shape.

9 . The heat exchanger of claim 1 , further including a header transition portion where the first and/or second flow channels transition from the checkerboard pattern to an aligned pattern such that the first flow channels are aligned in one or more first columns and/or rows, wherein the second flow channels are aligned in separate second columns and/or rows that are parallel with the first columns and/or rows.

10 . The heat exchanger of claim 9 , wherein the first columns and/or rows alternate with the second columns and/or rows.

11 . The heat exchanger of claim 10 , further comprising a header fluidly connected to the first flow channels and/or the second flow channels via a plurality of first vanes and/or second vanes, respectively, wherein the vanes connect individually to each flow channel and converge at an inlet/outlet of the header.

12 . The heat exchanger of claim 10 , wherein the first columns and/or rows merge together to form slot shaped channels.

13 . The heat exchanger of claim 12 , wherein the second columns and/or rows merge together to form slot channels.

14 . The heat exchanger of claim 12 , further comprising a header including a plurality of slot shaped header channels extending from a inlet/outlet of the header, wherein the slot shaped header channels converge at the inlet/outlet and align with the first and/or second columns and rows.

15 . A method for manufacturing a heat exchanger, comprising;
forming a body to include a plurality of first flow channels and a plurality of second flow channels such that the second flow channels are fluidly isolated from the first flow channels, and such that the first flow channels and second flow channels are arranged in a checkerboard pattern.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein forming the heat exchanger includes additively manufacturing the heat exchanger.

17 . The method of claim 15 , wherein additively manufacturing the heat exchanger includes monolithically forming a header transition portion in fluid communication with the flow channels.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein forming the header transition portion includes modifying the checkerboard pattern to transition into an aligned pattern to fluidly connect to a header within the header transition portion.

19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein additively manufacturing the heat exchanger includes monolithically forming the header in fluid communication with the header transition portion.

20 . A monolithic header transition portion for a heat exchanger, comprising:
a first end including a plurality of first and/or second transition channels configured to be in fluid communication with first and/or second flow channels, respectively, disposed in a checkerboard pattern; and a second end including the transition channels arranged in an aligned pattern and configured to be in fluid communication with a header such that flow can transition from the checkerboard pattern and converge into the header in columns and/or rows.

Assignees

• Hamilton Sundstrand Corp

Inventors

• Herring Neal R
• Ranjan Ram
• St Rock Brian
• Turney Joseph
• Kuczek Andrzej E
• Ikeda Michael K
• Yun Thomas M

Classifications

• F28F2255/18

  sintered · CPC title

• F28F9/02

  Header boxes; End plates · CPC title

• F28D7/0066 Primary

  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

• B33Y80/00

  Products made by additive manufacturing · CPC title

• F28F7/02 Primary

  Blocks traversed by passages for heat-exchange media {(F28D7/0008 takes precedence)} · CPC title