Heat exchangers having a three-dimensional lattice structure with a rounded unit cell entrance and methods of forming rounded unit cell entrances in a three-dimensional lattice structure of a heat exchanger

Abstract

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 reducing a pressure drop in a three-dimensional lattice structure of a heat exchanger. The plurality of integrally formed contiguous unit cells includes a plurality of pathway cells and a plurality of partial unit 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 partial unit cells may introduce a partial phase-shift to the three-dimensional lattice of repeating unit cells such that the first fluid domain comprises a first rounded unit cell entrance and the second fluid domain comprises a second rounded unit cell entrance.