Design and characterization of an additively manufactured heat exchanger with triply periodic minimal surface core

Date

2024-4

Author

Cevahir, Burak

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Triply periodic minimal surface (TPMS) structures are being used more frequently as a result of growing interest in additive manufacturing (AM), as intricate shapes like TPMS structures cannot be manufactured using conventional fabrication methods. Having tailorable properties such as relative density, wall thickness and cell size, mathematically regulated TPMS based structures can have intriguing usage in engineering applications. Naturally dividing the volume that they cover into two makes TPMS based structures very handful in heat transfer applications, whereas, having high stiffness values while having less material makes TPMS structures also applicable for light-weighting designs for space applications. This study focuses on a compact counterflow heat exchanger (CCHEX) designed by utilizing the high surface area to volume ratio of different TPMS structures. The heat transfer areas for three different TPMS structures are calculated inside a prescribed heat exchanger volume. Among many other design options, a Gyroid based heat exchanger is manufactured using 17-4 PH. stainless steel powder. The manufactured prototype is designed considering the AM design criteria so that no support structures are needed. Furthermore, a test setup capable of measuring the pressure, temperature, and flow rate data for the fluid sides at the inlet and outlet sections is constructed. Test results are validated using computational fluid dynamics simulations so that many other heat exchanger designs can be evaluated without manufacturing and testing. Using the workflow generated, various types of TPMS structures can be analyzed and compared for their thermal performance and volume requirements in laminar flow region.

Subject Keywords

TPMS structures, Heat exchangers, Additive manufacturing

URI

https://hdl.handle.net/11511/109526

Collections

Graduate School of Natural and Applied Sciences, Thesis