Design of periodic cellular structures for heat exchanger applications

Vikas Kumar, Guhaprasanna Manogharan, Denis R. Cormier

Research output: Contribution to conferencePaperpeer-review

14 Scopus citations

Abstract

Powder based metal additive manufacturing processes generally produce parts with a textured surface. Although surface roughness is undesirable in most cases, it can be advantageous for applications such as heat exchangers or catalyst support structures. While stochastic metal foams have been used for these applications, it is not possible to tailor the foam geometry to the application. SFF techniques permit designers to use different cell geometries and orientations to achieve specific performance objectives. More specifically, the unit cell type and size, ligament size, and cell orientation have a considerable influence on surface area, volume, density and fluid flow behavior of the lattice structure. This paper illustrates the effect of the orientation of hexagonal periodic cellular structures on heat transfer and pressure drop. Finite element analysis of air flowing through the hot hexagonal periodic cellular structures shows the effect of orientation on heat transfer and pressure drop. The analysis indicates that the ideal orientation is dependent on the specific application.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages738-748
Number of pages11
StatePublished - 2009
Event20th Annual International Solid Freeform Fabrication Symposium, SFF 2009 - Austin, TX, United States
Duration: Aug 3 2009Aug 5 2009

Other

Other20th Annual International Solid Freeform Fabrication Symposium, SFF 2009
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CityAustin, TX
Period8/3/098/5/09

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Surfaces, Coatings and Films
  • Surfaces and Interfaces

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