Modified Manifold-Microchannel Heat Exchangers Fabricated Based on Additive Manufacturing: Experimental Characterization

Abstract

Abstract In this study, the additive manufacturing technique has been utilized to fabricate air-water heat exchangers for the application of thermoelectric power plants. Additive manufacturing is a powerful fabrication method that has enabled fabrication of complex geometries that are either challenging or impossible to fabricate based on conventional techniques. Three manifold-microchannel heat exchangers with different interior designs were fabricated by additive manufacturing and from stainless steel. The heat exchangers were tested at different air flow rates and different inlet water temperatures. One heat exchanger was designed and fabricated based on an original design of the manifold-microchannel heat exchanger. Two other heat exchangers were designed with some modifications compared to the original design. In one modified heat exchanger, cylindrical pin arrays were considered on air manifold walls in order to enhance air disturbance, and thus, increase heat transfer between water and air. The second modified heat exchanger contained same pins and also had microchannels in the perpendicular orientation compared to the original design in the outlet manifolds. This design modification was done in order to reduce air-side pressure drop in the heat exchanger. The heat transfer characteristics along with air-side pressure drop were measured and compared with the original design of the manifold-microchannel heat exchanger. Results indicated that the heat flow rate, convection heat transfer coefficient, and pressure drop did not significantly change in modified heat exchangers. For air Reynolds number between around 800 and 4,000, the heat flow rates obtained in the original heat exchanger (type A) and for 50° C water inlet temperature were between 63.9 and 228 W for the lowest and the highest air flow rates, respectively. For the same inlet water temperature, these heat flow rates were between 64.2 and 211 W for the lowest and the highest air flow rates and in one of the modified heat exchangers (type B), respectively. Similarly, while the highest air-side pressure drop in the original heat exchanger was 3458 Pa, this property was measured at 3525 (type B) and 3884 (type C) for the two modified heat exchangers.