US 10,852,076 B2 · Segmented conformal heat exchanger

Abstract

A heat exchanger capable of conforming to expansion/contraction due to external stresses as well as adjusting/adapting to surface imperfections at the interface of the heat exchanger with additional components is disclosed. The heat exchanger is made up of various heat exchanger elements where the elements are interconnected in such a manner that they can shift relative to one another along and/or about different axes while maintaining fluid flow through the heat exchanger. Each element has a fluid inlet, fluid outlet and a flow passage extending therebetween, the elements being arranged such that the outlet of one element is fluidly connected to the inlet of the adjacent element. The individual elements are also physically interconnected to allow for longitudinal and/or lateral shifting in response to external expansion/contraction forces while maintaining fluid flow through the entire heat exchanger, as well as to tilting about each of these axes.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A heat exchanger, comprising:

a plurality of heat exchanger elements, each said heat exchanger element having a principal axis and a transverse axis, and a fluid inlet, a fluid outlet and an internal flow path extending between and interconnecting said fluid inlet and fluid outlet;
an inlet manifold element fluidly coupled to the fluid inlet of at least one of said plurality of heat exchanger elements;
an outlet manifold element fluidly coupled to the fluid outlet of at least one of said plurality of heat exchanger elements;
wherein said plurality of heat exchanger elements are interconnected, with each said heat exchanger element being connected to at least one adjacent said heat exchanger element to allow for expansion and/or contraction as well as rotational movement about said principal axis and/or said transverse axis.

1 more element

The heat exchanger as claimed in 1, wherein at least one of said heat exchanger elements comprises:

a bottom portion and a top portion enclosing a fluid cavity, said bottom portion having a generally planar bottom surface;
said heat exchanger element having a first interlocking longitudinal end portion, a second interlocking longitudinal end portion generally opposed to said first interlocking longitudinal end portion, a first lateral interlocking edge portion and a second lateral interlocking edge portion generally opposed to said first lateral interlocking edge portion;
wherein said fluid inlet extends through a first lateral side surface of the heat exchanger element to be in fluid communication with said fluid cavity, said fluid outlet extends through an opposed second lateral side surface of the heat exchanger element at a location generally opposed to and aligned longitudinally with said fluid inlet so as to be in fluid communication with said fluid cavity, said internal flow path being formed within said fluid cavity.

A thermoelectric generator assembly comprising:

a hot heat exchanger having a pair of spaced apart walls defining a fluid flow path therebetween for the flow of a first heat exchange fluid therethrough;
a plurality of thermoelectric modules arranged on the outer surface of each of said spaced apart walls;
a pair of cold heat exchangers arranged on either side of said hot heat exchanger in contact with said plurality of thermoelectric modules for the flow of a second heat exchange fluid therethrough, wherein each of said cold heat exchangers comprises:
a plurality of heat exchanger elements, each said heat exchanger element having a principal axis and a transverse axis, and a fluid inlet, a fluid outlet and an internal flow path extending between and interconnecting said fluid inlet and fluid outlet;
an inlet manifold fluidly coupled to the fluid inlet of at least one of said plurality of heat exchanger elements;
an outlet manifold fluidly coupled to the fluid outlet of at least one of said plurality of heat exchanger elements;
wherein said plurality of heat exchanger elements are interconnected, with each said heat exchanger element being connected to at least one adjacent said heat exchanger element to allow for expansion and/or contraction of said plurality of heat exchanger elements along said principal axis as well as rotational movement about said principal axis and/or said transverse axis;
a plurality of rods extending through said cold heat exchangers and through said hot heat exchanger for securing said cold heat exchangers to said hot heat exchanger and for establishing thermal contact between said cold heat exchangers and said thermoelectric modules.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Segmented conformal heat exchanger

Life of this patent

Segmented conformal heat exchanger

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20