General Electric Company

Nicolas Kristopher Sabo

Jeffrey Douglas Rambo

Ramon Martinez

William Dwight Gerstler

Daniel Jason Erno

Michael Thomas Kenworthy

Jared Matthew Wolfe

Samuel Noah Miller

Curt Edward Hogan

Michael Stephen Popp

David Henry Abbott

Alex William Ariapad

Matthew Ryan Johns

A heat exchanger is provided that can include furcating unit cells coupled with each other. Each of the unit cells can be elongated along an axis and include a sidewall that defines annular ring openings on opposite ends of the unit cell along the axis. The sidewall also can define undulating annular rings between the annular ring openings and axially separated from each other along the axis. The sidewall can further define angled openings into the unit cell both above and below each of the undulating annular rings. At least a first opening of the annular ring openings and the angled openings can be configured to be an inlet to receive a first fluid into the unit cell and at least a second opening of the annular ring openings and the angled openings configured to be an outlet through which the first fluid exits the unit cell.

Heat exchanger including furcating unit cells

A heat exchanger may include a three-dimensional lattice of integrally formed unit cells, a first furcated-pathway baffle integrally formed among the three-dimensional lattice, and/or a second furcated-pathway baffle integrally formed among the three-dimensional lattice. The three-dimensional lattice of integrally formed unit cells may include an interior pathway-cell surface contiguously defining a first furcated fluid domain, and an exterior pathway-cell surface contiguously defining a second furcated fluid domain. The first furcated-pathway baffle may contiguously define a first boundary to the first furcated fluid domain. The first furcated-pathway baffle may include an exterior baffle-cell surface contiguous with at least a portion of the exterior pathway-cell surface. The second furcated-pathway baffle may contiguously define a second boundary to the second furcated fluid domain. The second furcated-pathway baffle may include an interior baffle-cell surface contiguous with at least a portion of the interior pathway-cell surface.

Heat exchangers having a three-dimensional lattice structure

A heat exchanger and heat exchanger core are provided. The heat exchanger core includes a plurality of columnar passages extending between an inlet plenum of the heat exchanger core and an outlet plenum of the heat exchanger core, the columnar passages formed monolithically in a single fabrication process.

Contoured wall heat exchanger

A heat exchanger for an aircraft includes an inlet plenum housing defining an inlet plenum configured to receive a fluid and an outlet plenum housing defining an outlet plenum configured to discharge the fluid. Furthermore, the heat exchanger includes a core configured to heat or cool a first portion of the fluid, with the core defining a plurality of fluid passages extending from the inlet plenum to the outlet plenum. Moreover, the heat exchanger includes a passive bypass defining a passive bypass flow path fluidly coupled to and extending between the inlet plenum and the outlet plenum. As such, the passive bypass flow path is in parallel with at least a portion of the core such that a second portion of the fluid bypasses at least a portion of the core and flows continuously and unobstructed through the passive bypass flow path to the outlet plenum.

Heat exchanger for an aircraft

Provided are heat exchangers that have a plurality of integrally formed contiguous unit cells defining a three-dimensional lattice of repeating unit cells, and methods of forming a baffle in a three-dimensional lattice structure of a heat exchanger. The plurality of integrally formed contiguous unit cells include a plurality of pathway cells and a plurality of baffle cells integrally formed among the plurality of pathway cells. The plurality of pathway cells have a solid domain that includes interior and exterior pathway-cell surfaces that respectively contiguously define first and second furcated fluid domains for a first fluid and a second fluid to respectively flow across the plurality of pathway cells. The plurality of baffle cells have a solid domain that includes one or more furcated-pathway blinds that together provide one or more furcated-pathway baffles that contiguously define a boundary to a furcated fluid domain.

Heat exchangers having a three-dimensional lattice structure with baffle cells and methods of forming baffles in a three-dimensional lattice structure of a heat exchanger

A heat exchanger includes a core defining a first passageway configured for a first fluid to flow through and a second passageway configured for a second fluid to flow through. The core includes a plurality of unit cells coupled together. Each unit cell of the plurality of unit cells includes a sidewall at least partly defining a first passageway portion, a second passageway portion, a plurality of first openings for the first fluid to flow through, and a plurality of second openings for the second fluid to flow through. Each unit cell of the plurality of unit cells is configured to enable the first fluid to combine and divide in the first passageway portion. Each unit cell is further configured to enable the second fluid to combine and divide in the second passageway portion.

An additively manufactured heat exchanger and a method of manufacturing the same are provided. The heat exchanger includes a plurality of walls spaced apart to define a plurality of fluid passageways and a plurality of flow turbulators extending between two adjacent walls through the fluid passageways. The walls and flow turbulators define one or more internal fluid passageways in thermal communication with the plurality of fluid passageways which receive a flow of auxiliary heat exchange fluid for enhancing the heat transfer efficiency of the heat exchanger.

Additively manufactured heat exchanger including flow turbulators defining internal fluid passageways

The present disclosure generally relates to methods for radiographic and computed tomography (CT) inspection of workpieces having increasingly complicated internal geometry. The disclosed methods are capable of distributing a contrast agent within the detailed internal geometry of, for example, an AM workpiece or precision cast turbine blade, followed by complete removal of the contrast agent and all residues thereof after inspection.

Growing community of inventors

West Chester, OH, United States of America

Nicolas Kristopher Sabo