# US 10,369,540 B2 · Cell structures for use in heat exchangers, and methods of producing the same

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- Number: US 10,369,540 B2
- Document ID: US10369540B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/488,724
- Filed: 2017-04-17
- Published: 2018-10-18
- Granted: 2019-08-06
- Earliest claimed: 2017-04-17
- Assignees: Honeywell International Inc.
- Applicants: Honeywell International Inc.
- Inventors: Charles Lo; Bijan F. Hagh; David Loeffelholz
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10369540B2

## CPC

- B01J 19/0013: {Controlling the temperature of the process}
- B01J 19/243: {spirally, concentrically or zigzag wound}
- B01J 19/32: Packing elements in the form of grids or built-up elements for forming a unit or module inside the apparatus for mass or heat transfer
- B01J 37/0215: {Coating}
- C01B 3/48: followed by reaction of water vapour with carbon monoxide
- F28D 1/053: the conduits being straight
- F28D 7/0058: {the conduits for only one medium being tubes having different orientations to each other or crossing the conduit for the other heat exchange medium (F28D7/0008 takes precedence)}
- B01J 2219/00092: Tubes
- B01J 2219/00103: in a heat exchanger separate from the reactor
- B01J 2219/32286: Grids or lattices
- C01B 2203/0233: the reforming step being a steam reforming step
- C01B 2203/0283: containing a CO-shift step, i.e. a water gas shift step
- C01B 2203/0811: by combustion of fuel
- F28D 2021/0021: {for aircrafts or cosmonautics}
- F28D 2021/0022: {for chemical reactors}
- F28F 2210/02: with particular branching, e.g. fractal conduit arrangements
- F28F 2250/10: Particular pattern of flow of the heat exchange media
- Y02P 20/129: Energy recovery, e.g. by cogeneration, H2recovery or pressure recovery turbines
- B01J: CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS
- C01B: NON-METALLIC ELEMENTS; COMPOUNDS THEREOF; {METALLOIDS OR COMPOUNDS THEREOF NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASS C01C}
- F28D: HEAT-EXCHANGE APPARATUS, NOT PROVIDED FOR IN ANOTHER SUBCLASS, IN WHICH THE HEAT-EXCHANGE MEDIA DO NOT COME INTO DIRECT CONTACT (fluid heaters having heat generating means and heat transferring means F24H; furnaces F27; details of heat-exchange apparatus of general)
- F28F: DETAILS OF HEAT-EXCHANGE AND HEAT-TRANSFER APPARATUS, OF GENERAL APPLICATION (water and air traps, air venting F16)
- Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS

## Abstract

A cell structure is provided that is (i) capable of handling, on inner and outer surfaces, heat transfer requirements of heat exchangers and/or be a substrate for coatings for catalytic reactors, (ii) able to be easily combined and interconnected into a variety of shapes, and (iii) may be created in an additive manufacturing process. The provided cell structure may be replicated and interconnected with other cell structures to create lattice structures in a variety of shapes. Accordingly, the cell structure may be used to build a heat exchanger or catalytic reactor that has reduced weight compared to traditional architectures.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A cell structure for use in a heat exchanger, the cell structure comprising:
a hub, defined as a central chamber having an inner surface and an outer surface; and
a number (n) of tubes, where n is three or more, each tube having a first end, a second end, an inner surface, and an outer surface; and
wherein, the n tubes are configured such that (i) each first end comprises an opening integrally joined at the hub, (ii) each second end extends away from the hub, (iii) the inner surface of each tube and the inner surface of the hub form a smooth, continuous, structure inner surface, (iv) the outer surface of each tube and the outer surface of the hub form a smooth, continuous structure outer surface, and (v) there are no other openings into the hub or the n tubes; and an impermeable partition extending across the central chamber of the hub, integrally joined along its perimeter to the central chamber inner surface, dividing the central chamber into a first sub-chamber and a second sub-chamber, the partition preventing fluid communication between the first sub-chamber and the second sub-chamber; and wherein a first tube, the first sub-chamber, and a second tube comprise a first flow-path; and a third tube, the second sub-chamber, and a fourth tube comprise a second flow-path; and wherein the first flow-path and the second flow-path are in fluid isolation from each other.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The cell structure of claim 1, wherein n is four.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The cell structure of claim 2, wherein each tube of the four tubes integrally joined at the hub forms a substantially 109 degree angle from every other of the tubes integrally joined at the hub.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The cell structure of claim 3, wherein substantially is plus or minus five percent.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The cell structure of claim 4, wherein:
the structure inner surface is impermeable; and
the structure outer surface is impermeable.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The cell structure of claim 5, wherein a material comprising the structure inner surface is different from a material comprising the structure outer surface.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The cell structure of claim 6, wherein a second end of a tube is is integrally joined to a vessel wall.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The cell structure of claim 7, wherein:
each of the n tubes has a same cross sectional area as each other, defined as a tube cross section;
the hub has a cross sectional area, defined as a hub cross section; and
the hub cross section is larger than the tube cross section.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The cell structure of claim 8, wherein:
the n tubes have a tube thickness;
the hub has a hub thickness; and
the tube thickness and hub thickness are not equal.

### Claim 10

A lattice structure for use in a heat exchanger, the lattice structure comprising:
a plurality of hubs, each defined as a central chamber having an inner surface and an outer surface; and
a plurality of tubes, each tube having an inner surface and an outer surface;
each hub of the plurality of hubs directly connected to at least three of the plurality of tubes, such that, for each of the at least three tubes connected to the hub, (i) the inner surface of each tube and the inner surface of the hub form a smooth, continuous, structure inner surface, (ii) the outer surface of each tube and the outer surface of the hub form a smooth, continuous structure outer surface, (iii) there are no other openings into the hub or the tubes, and (iv) for each hub, each tube of the at least three tubes connected thereto is oriented at a substantially 109 degree angle from each other tube of the at least three tubes; and
wherein tubes and hubs are interconnected to define (i) a repeating shape, (ii) an inner flow path comprising structure inner surfaces, and (iii) an outer flow path comprising structure; and a vessel wall, to which some of the plurality of tubes are integrally joined.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The lattice structure of claim 10, wherein:
the lattice structure defines a volume; and
the volume is substantially enclosed in a radial direction by the vessel wall.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The lattice structure of claim 11, wherein:
the volume is bisected by a vessel wall that prevents fluid communication between a first section of the volume and a second section of the volume.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The lattice structure of claim 12, wherein:
the structure inner surfaces are non-permeable; and
the structure outer surfaces are non-permeable.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The lattice structure of claim 13, wherein a material comprising the structure inner surfaces is different from a material comprising the structure outer surfaces.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The lattice structure of claim 14, further comprising:
a partition extending across a central chamber of at least one hub, seamlessly joined along its perimeter to the structure inner surface, dividing the central chamber into a first sub-chamber and a second sub-chamber, the partition preventing fluid communication between the first sub-chamber and second sub-chamber.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The lattice structure of claim 15, wherein at least one tube is is mechanically coupled to the vessel wall.