General Electric Company
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

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 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.