Heat exchanger

Abstract

A heat exchanger is provided. The heat exchanger includes a plurality of stacked layers of fins, each fin including a repeated pattern of folds, the plurality of stacked layers of fins forming a plurality of repeating offset cell structures and a first coolant duct and a second coolant duct coupled to peripheral fins in the plurality of stacked layers of fins. The heat exchanger further includes a fan directing air through the repeating offset cell structures.

1 . A heat exchanger comprising:
 a plurality of stacked layers of fins, each fin including a repeated pattern of folds, the plurality of stacked layers of fins forming a plurality of repeating offset cell structures;   a first coolant duct and a second coolant duct coupled to peripheral fins in the plurality of stacked layers of fins; and   a fan directing air through the repeating offset cell structures.   
     
     
         2 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , where the airflow through the repeating offset cell structures is isotropically turbulent. 
     
     
         3 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , where the plurality of stacked layers include a first stacked layer having a plurality of fins sequentially stacked and aligned in a transverse direction extending between the first and second coolant duct and a second stacked layer having a plurality of fins sequentially stacked and aligned in the transverse direction, the first stacked layer is offset from the second stacked layer in longitudinal direction. 
     
     
         4 . The heat exchanger of  claim 3 , where the longitudinal direction extends between the inlets and the outlets of the first and second coolant ducts. 
     
     
         5 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , where each of the fins are identical in size and geometry. 
     
     
         6 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , where each of the fins extend in a longitudinal direction from inlets of the first and second coolant ducts to outlets of the first and second coolant ducts. 
     
     
         7 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , where the stacked layer of fins are angled at 15° with regard to the general direction of airflow generated by the fan. 
     
     
         8 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , where each of the fins are formed of a continuous piece of material. 
     
     
         9 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , where the cell structures have a square cross-section. 
     
     
         10 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , where each of the fins includes a plurality of consecutively arranged planar surfaces. 
     
     
         11 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , where each of the fins includes a plurality of square air-flow channels and where each air-flow channel is bounded by three consecutively arranged planar sides. 
     
     
         12 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , where each of the fins includes a plurality of triangular air-flow channels and where each air-flow channel is bounded by two consecutively arranged planar sides. 
     
     
         13 . A method for heat exchanger operation, comprising:
 flowing coolant through a first coolant duct and a second coolant duct; and   flowing turbulent air through a plurality of repeating offset cell structures formed by a plurality of stacked layers of fins, each fin including a repeated pattern of folds.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , where the airflow through the plurality of repeating offset cell structures is isotropically turbulent. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , where the offset cell structures are arranged at a non-straight angle with regard to an outlet direction of a fan. 
     
     
         16 . A heat exchanger for an engine, comprising:
 a first and second coolant ducts spaced way from one another;   a first layer of stacked and transversely aligned fins extending between the first and second coolant ducts, each of the fins included a repeating pattern of folds; and   a second layer of stacked and transversely aligned fins extending between the first and second coolant ducts, each of the fins included a repeating pattern of folds and the first layer of fins longitudinally offset from the second layer of fins.   
     
     
         17 . The heat exchanger of  claim 16 , where a plurality of planar surfaces in peripheral fins in the first and second layer are in face sharing contact with a surface of either the first coolant duct or the second coolant duct. 
     
     
         18 . The heat exchanger of  claim 16 , where the fins in the first layer and the second layer form a plurality of offset cell structures. 
     
     
         19 . The heat exchanger of  claim 16 , where a range of ratios between a width and a length of each of the repeating planar surfaces is 1/1-1/15. 
     
     
         20 . The heat exchanger of  claim 16 , where each of the fin structures includes a plurality of consecutively arranged planar surfaces, each planar surface arranged perpendicular to the subsequent and preceding planar surfaces.