Microchannel Heat Exchangers and Reactors

Abstract

A method of making a core of, or a micro-channel heat exchanger includes making constructs from wire and sheet material. The constructs are then stacked together according to the desired orientation of the channels for the core. The stacked constructs are then bonded together to form the core.

1 . A method of making a heat exchanger having microchannels, comprising
 assembling a plurality of constructs including continuously feeding a plurality of wire and a sheet into a press for securing the plurality of wire to the sheet;   combining the plurality of constructs; and   bonding the combined plurality of constructs to each other to form the heat exchanger.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the wire and/or sheet material is a metal, non-metal or combination metal and non-metal. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the sheet and wire material is a metal and the bonding includes a mechanical and metallurgical bonding of the constructs. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the bonding is diffusion bonding, Load Assisted Brazing (LAB), brazing or welding. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the continuously feeding step includes guiding the plurality of wire into the press so as to space wires according to a desired microchannel width as the plurality of wire enters the press. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the press includes rollers and the plurality of wire and the sheet are passed between rollers when continuously fed into the press. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of wires is fed from one or more spools and the sheet is fed from a rolled sheet. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the assembling a plurality of constructs includes cutting a continuous supply of wires secured to a sheet after the wire and sheet exit the press. 
     
     
         9 . A method of making a construct for combining with other constructs to form a microchannel heat exchanger core, comprising
 providing a continuous supply of wires and sheet material;   feeding the wires through a guide to align the wires with the sheet material, wherein a space between each of the aligned wires corresponds to about the width of a microchannel;   attaching the aligned wires to the sheet material; and   cutting the sheet material and wires to form the construct.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein both the wire and the sheet material comprises a metal, the sheet thickness is less than 0.1 inches and the wires have a diameter less than 0.1 inches. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the attaching step includes attaching a wire mesh to the sheet material. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the attaching step includes attaching a plurality of individual wires to the sheet, wherein each wire is supplied from a spool. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , further including attaching the wires to the sheet material by passing the wires and sheet material through a press. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , further including disposing an adhesive on a face of the sheet material prior to the attaching step. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the attaching step includes activating the adhesive between the wires and sheet as the wires and sheet material are within the press. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the wire is a round or flat wire. 
     
     
         18 . A method of making a heat exchanger having microchannels, comprising
 providing a plurality of constructs; and   stacking the plurality of constructs, wherein a microchannel is formed by the wire and sheet of a first construct and the sheet of a second construct placed on top of the first construct.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , further including the step of bonding the plurality of stacked constructs to each other to form a core and then attaching manifolds to the core. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , further including the step of bonding a first plurality of stacked constructs to each other to form a first core, forming a second core, stacking the first and second core to form a third core, and then attaching manifolds to the third core. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein a channel size for the core includes a first and second channel size. 
     
     
         22 . An apparatus, comprising:
 a core precursor comprising a plurality of constructs;   wherein a height of the wires is about the height of a microchannel; and   wherein the apparatus is adapted for being formed into a plurality of microchannels of a heat exchanger core by bonding the plurality of constructs to each other.   
     
     
         23 . The apparatus of  claim 22 , wherein the sheet and wire are metal and the apparatus is adapted for being formed into the channels of the heat exchanger core by diffusion bonding, brazing or load assisted brazing, to thereby induce metallurgical bonding among the plurality of constructs. 
     
     
         24 . The apparatus of  claim 22 , wherein the core precursor comprises a plurality of stacked constructs, wherein the constructs are oriented relative to each other so that wires of the constructs extend in the directions of the channels of the heat exchanger core.