Abstract
Development of polymer composite heat exchangers that can meet thermal fluid performance metrics while offering a lower weight and cost advantage remain an active area of research. The present study involves our continued work on development of a novel, additively manufactured, cross-media polymer composite heat exchanger that offers an effective thermal conductivity in excess of 100 W/(m-K). The heat exchanger consists of continuous high conductivity metal fiber fins that pass directly through the walls of the polymer fluid tubes; a geometry that ensures a high heat transfer and high thermal conductivity. A 1kW cross-media composite heat exchanger with approximate dimensions of 3.7cm × 23. 4cm × 16.2cm was successfully fabricated using a custom Fused Filament Deposition 3D printing machine. This machine enabled printing the novel geometry of the heat exchanger by modifying an off the shelf Fused Filament Fabrication printer, and adding to it a patent-pending print head capable of laying down the heat exchanger metallic wires. The experimental testing of the 1kW cross-media composite heat exchanger shows a performance superior to that of state-of-the-art heat exchangers such as louver fins, wavy fins, and plain plate fins. Our continuous progress in the past three years pave the way for next-generation air-cooled heat exchangers that can have diverse industrial applications, including applications involving efficient heat exchange in gas-to-liquid or gas-to-gas applications, among others.
Published Version
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