Vanes for heat exchangers

Abstract

A heat exchanger includes a vane positioned between an inlet and an outlet of a heat exchanger manifold. The vane includes a leading edge proximate the inlet and a trailing edge proximate the outlet. The vane includes opposing first and second surfaces between the leading and trailing edges. The first and second surfaces are porous to provide fluidic communication between the first surface and the second surface to resist fluid separation along the first surface and/or the second surface to minimize fluid pressure drop between the inlet and the outlet of the manifold.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A heat exchanger comprising:
 a vane positioned between an inlet and an outlet of a heat exchanger manifold, wherein the vane includes a leading edge proximate the inlet and a trailing edge proximate the outlet, and opposing first and second surfaces between the leading and trailing edges, wherein the first and second surfaces are porous to provide fluidic communication between the first surface and the second surface to resist fluid separation along at least one of the first surface or the second surface.   
     
     
         2 . The heat exchanger as recited in  claim 1 , wherein a flow path is defined between the inlet and the outlet of the heat exchanger manifold, wherein the inlet defines an inlet axis substantially parallel to the flow path at the inlet, and wherein the outlet defines an outlet axis angled with respect to the inlet axis. 
     
     
         3 . The heat exchanger as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the porosity of the vane is defined by a plurality of apertures. 
     
     
         4 . The heat exchanger as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the porosity of the vane is defined by at least one of a foam structure, slot perforations, hole perforations, and a wire mesh. 
     
     
         5 . The heat exchanger as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the first surface is a concave surface and the second surface is a convex surface. 
     
     
         6 . The heat exchanger as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising additional vanes positioned between the inlet and the outlet of the heat exchanger manifold, wherein the vane is a first vane. 
     
     
         7 . The heat exchanger as recited in  claim 6 , wherein the additional vanes each include a leading edge proximate the inlet and a trailing edge proximate the outlet, and opposing first and second surfaces between the leading and trailing edges, wherein the first and second surfaces are porous to provide fluidic communication between the first surface and the second surface to resist fluid separation along at least one of the first surface or the second surface. 
     
     
         8 . The heat exchanger as recited in  claim 7 , wherein the porosity of each of the additional vanes is defined by a plurality of apertures. 
     
     
         9 . The heat exchanger as recited in  claim 7 , wherein the porosity each of the additional vanes is defined by at least one of a foam structure, slot perforations, hole perforations, and a wire mesh. 
     
     
         10 . The heat exchanger as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising a heat exchanger core operatively connected to and in fluid communication with the outlet of the manifold. 
     
     
         11 . The heat exchanger as recited in  claim 10 , further comprising a second-manifold vane positioned between an inlet and an outlet of a second heat exchanger manifold, wherein the inlet of the second heat exchanger manifold is operatively connected to an outlet of the heat exchanger core. 
     
     
         12 . The heat exchanger as recited in  claim 11 , wherein the second heat exchanger manifold includes defines a second-manifold flow path between the inlet and the outlet of the second heat exchanger manifold, wherein the inlet of the second heat exchanger manifold defines a second-manifold inlet axis substantially parallel to the second-manifold flow path at the outlet of the heat exchanger core, and wherein the outlet of the second heat exchanger manifold defines a second-manifold outlet axis angled with respect to the second-manifold inlet axis. 
     
     
         13 . The heat exchanger as recited in  claim 11 , wherein the second-manifold vane includes a leading edge proximate the outlet of the heat exchanger core and a trailing edge proximate the outlet of the second heat exchanger manifold, and opposing first and second surfaces between the leading and trailing edges, wherein the first and second surfaces are porous to provide fluidic communication between the first surface and the second surface to resist fluid separation along at least one of the first surface or the second surface. 
     
     
         14 . The manifold for a heat exchanger as recited in  claim 13 , wherein the porosity of the second-manifold vane is defined by a plurality of apertures. 
     
     
         15 . The manifold for a heat exchanger as recited in  claim 13 , wherein the porosity of the second-manifold vane is defined by at least one of a foam structure, slot perforations, hole perforations, and a wire mesh. 
     
     
         16 . The manifold for a heat exchanger as recited in  claim 11 , further comprising additional second-manifold vanes positioned between the inlet and the outlet of the second heat exchanger manifold, wherein the second-manifold vane is a first second-manifold vane. 
     
     
         17 . The manifold for a heat exchanger as recited in  claim 16 , wherein the additional second-manifold vanes each include a leading edge proximate the outlet of the heat exchanger core and a trailing edge proximate the outlet of the second heat exchanger manifold, and opposing first and second surfaces between the leading and trailing edges, wherein the first and second surfaces are porous to provide fluidic communication between the first surface and the second surface to resist fluid separation along at least one of the first surface or the second surface. 
     
     
         18 . The manifold for a heat exchanger as recited in  claim 16 , wherein the porosity of each of the additional second-manifold vanes is defined by at least one of a plurality of apertures, a foam structure, slot perforations, hole perforations, and a wire mesh. 
     
     
         19 . A method of manufacturing a vane for a heat exchanger, the method comprising:
 forming a vane body having a leading edge and a trailing edge with a first surface and an opposing second surface between the leading and trailing edges, wherein the first and second surfaces are porous to provide fluidic communication between the first surface and the second surface.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the forming is via additive manufacturing.