Heat exchanger with progressive divided flow circuit, structural load bearing design

Abstract

A heat exchanger including a fluid circuit in which an incoming fluid stream is progressively divided into multiple smaller streams, each of which delivers the heat exchange fluid into one or more heat exchange sections of the device; and/or in which multiple fluid streams of the fluid circuit are discharged from one or more heat exchanger sections, each of which are progressively combined into one or more larger streams before exiting the device. The heat exchanger may have a thin body portion and a thick body portion and may adapt a depth of the fluid circuit to the changes in thickness of the heat exchanger body. The heat exchanger may form a structural component and may integrate multiple materials to provide both heat exchange and structural functionality into a single device. Other structural fluid transfer devices having fluid flow and structural functionality also are provided.

1 . A multi-material heat exchanger, comprising:
 one or more heat exchange sections formed from a first material;   one or more structural sections formed from a second material, wherein the second material has a higher strength than the first material;   wherein the one or more heat exchange sections and the one or more structural sections are coupled to one another to form a single integrated heat exchanger having functions of a structural component and a heat transfer device.   
     
     
         2 . The multi-material heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein the one or more structural sections border the one or more heat exchange sections, or wherein the one or more heat exchange sections form a core enclosed within a shell provided by the one or more structural sections. 
     
     
         3 . The multi-material heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein the first material has a higher thermal conductivity than the second material. 
     
     
         4 . The multi-material heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein the second material is 2XXX, 7XXX, or 8XXX-series aluminum alloy, and wherein the first material is 1XXX, 3XXX, or 6XXX-series aluminum alloy. 
     
     
         5 . The multi-material heat exchanger according to  claim 1 , wherein the single integrated heat exchanger comprises:
 a feed fluid circuit including a plurality of feed fluid passages to transport an operating fluid;   a heat exchange fluid circuit including the one or more heat exchange sections that are configured to provide a heat exchange relationship for the single integrated heat exchanger, the one or more heat exchange sections being fluidly connected to the feed fluid circuit in a downstream direction of the single integrated heat exchanger, the plurality of heat exchange feed fluid passages arranged to provide apportioning of the operating fluid for optimization of heat exchange; and   a discharge fluid circuit including a plurality of discharge fluid passages that are fluidly connected to the heat exchange fluid circuit in the downstream direction;   wherein the feed fluid circuit includes at least a first feed section having a first set of the plurality of feed fluid passages, and a second feed section having a second set of the plurality of feed fluid passages, the second feed section being located downstream of the first feed section, and   wherein each of the second set of the plurality of feed fluid passages is progressively smaller than each of the first set of feed fluid passages, as measured by cross-sectional area transverse to a direction of downstream operating fluid flow through the passages, such that operating fluid from at least the first feed section to the second feed section is divided into progressively smaller flow paths in the downstream direction;   wherein the single integrated heat exchanger comprises an air-cooled oil cooler configured to cool the operating fluid;   wherein each of the one or more heat exchange sections are configured as a single-pass heat transfer circuit for a local counter-flow configuration, parallel-flow configuration, or crossflow heat exchange configuration relative to an external air flow of the air-cooled oil cooler, or multi-pass heat transfer circuit for a locally mixed-flow heat exchange configuration relative to the external air flow of the air-cooled oil cooler;   wherein the heat exchange fluid circuit, to optimize heat transfer performance across the one or more heat exchange sections, includes at least a plurality of dividing flow-control features that recursively divide the operating fluid flow distributing the operating fluid in the downstream direction into the one or more heat exchange sections, and the heat exchange fluid circuit further includes at least a plurality of combining flow-control features that recursively combine the exiting fluid flow in the downstream direction from the heat exchange feed sections to collect and discharge the operating fluid;   wherein the one or more heat exchange sections are configured to apportion the flow rate of the operating fluid for balancing heat transfer performance and control pressure loss through the single integrated heat exchanger;   wherein the heat exchange feed sections comprise a tree-like configuration, a fractal-like configuration, or a serial configuration where each feed section utilizes recursively refined or coarsened geometric length scales which augment heat transfer along the progressively smaller flow paths of the second feed section; and   wherein a width and height of the heat exchange regions apportion the flow in the heat exchange regions.   
     
     
         6 . The multi-material heat exchanger according to  claim 5 ,
 wherein the discharge fluid circuit includes at least a first discharge section having a first set of the plurality of discharge fluid passages, and a second discharge section having a second set of the plurality of discharge fluid passages, the second discharge section being located downstream of the first discharge section, and   wherein each of the second set of the plurality of discharge fluid passages is progressively larger than each of the first set of discharge fluid passages, as measured by cross-sectional area transverse to a direction of downstream operating fluid flow through the passages, such that operating fluid from at least the first discharge section to the second discharge section is combined into progressively larger flow paths in the downstream direction.   
     
     
         7 . The multi-material heat exchanger according to  claim 5 , wherein the heat exchange fluid circuit includes at least a set of the plurality of heat exchange fluid passages that are smaller than an adjacent set of the plurality of feed fluid passages to progressively divide flow in the downstream direction from the feed fluid circuit into the heat exchange fluid circuit. 
     
     
         8 . The multi-material heat exchanger according to  claim 5 , wherein the heat exchange fluid circuit includes at least a set of the plurality of heat exchange fluid passages that are smaller than an adjacent set of the plurality of discharge fluid passages to progressively combine flow in the downstream direction from the heat exchange fluid circuit to the discharge fluid circuit. 
     
     
         9 . The multi-material heat exchanger according to  claim 5 ,
 wherein the feed fluid circuit includes at least a third feed section having a third set of the plurality of feed fluid passages, the third feed section being located downstream of the second feed section, wherein each of the third set of the plurality of feed fluid passages is progressively smaller than each of the second set of feed fluid passages, as measured by cross-sectional area transverse to a direction of downstream fluid flow through the passages, such that operating fluid flow from at least the second feed section to the third feed section is divided into progressively smaller flow paths in the downstream direction, and   wherein the discharge fluid circuit includes at least a first discharge section having a first set of the plurality of discharge fluid passages, a second discharge section having a second set of the plurality of discharge fluid passages, and a third discharge section having a third set of the plurality of discharge fluid passages, the second discharge section being located downstream of the first discharge section, and the third discharge section being located downstream of the second discharge section, and wherein each of the second set of the plurality of discharge fluid passages is progressively larger than each of the first set of discharge fluid passages and each of the third set of the plurality of discharge fluid passages is progressively larger than each of the second set of discharge fluid passages, as measured by cross-sectional area transverse to a direction of downstream operating fluid flow through the passages, such that fluid from at least the first discharge section to the second discharge section to the third discharge section is combined into progressively larger flow paths in the downstream direction.   
     
     
         10 . The multi-material heat exchanger according to  claim 9 ,
 wherein the progressively smaller size of first, second and third set of the plurality of feed fluid passages in the downstream direction are recursively smaller in size, and   wherein the progressively larger size of first, second and third set of the plurality of discharge fluid passages in the downstream direction are recursively larger in size.   
     
     
         11 . The multi-material heat exchanger according to  claim 5 , wherein the discharge fluid circuit is configured as a mirror image to the feed fluid circuit about an axis that is parallel to both the feed and discharge fluid circuits. 
     
     
         12 . A method of manufacturing a multifunctional integrated heat exchange assembly comprising:
 utilizing a fabricated and joinable first material to make a heat exchange section;   using a joining method to join the heat exchange section to at least one structural element made from a second material that has more limited joining material properties relative to the heat exchange section;   wherein the joining method integrates the heat exchange section for heat transfer and the structural element for bearing mechanical load into the integrated heat exchange assembly; and   wherein the joining method comprises one of a fusion joining process or a solid state joining process.   
     
     
         13 . The method of manufacturing according to  claim 12 , wherein the joining method comprises friction stir welding that couples the heat exchange section to the at least one structural element via at least one friction stir welding joint. 
     
     
         14 . The method of manufacturing according to  claim 12 , wherein the first material has a higher thermal conductivity than the second material, and the second material has a higher strength than the first material. 
     
     
         15 . The method of manufacturing according to  claim 12 , wherein the first material includes one or more of: 1XXX, 3XXX, or 6XXX series aluminum alloy, and the second material includes one or more of: 2XXX, 7XXX, or 8XXX series aluminum alloys. 
     
     
         16 . The method of manufacturing according to  claim 12 , wherein the heat exchange section is formed by one of brazing, diffusion bonding, or additive manufacturing. 
     
     
         17 . The method of manufacturing according to  claim 12 , further comprising contouring the integrated heat exchange assembly into a curved shape. 
     
     
         18 . The method of manufacturing according to  claim 17 , further comprising machining socket interfaces into the integrated heat exchange assembly. 
     
     
         19 . The method of manufacturing according to  claim 18 , further comprising thinning edges of the integrated heat exchange assembly. 
     
     
         20 . The method of manufacturing according to  claim 12 , wherein the heat exchange section comprises fluid passages and external surfaces to provide a heat exchange relationship of an internal fluid within the fluid passages with the external environment.