Varied geometry heat exchanger systems and methods

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a heat exchanger including a tube having a length, and a cross-sectional geometry defined by an inner boundary and an outer boundary extending along the length. The tube is configured to flow a refrigerant fluid within the inner boundary to transfer heat. The cross-sectional geometry varies at respective transition points along the length of the tube. The tube is seamless and undeformed at the transition points.

1 . A heat exchanger, comprising:
 a tube having a length, and a cross-sectional geometry defined by an inner boundary and an outer boundary extending along the length, wherein the tube is configured to flow a refrigerant fluid within the inner boundary to transfer heat, wherein the cross-sectional geometry varies at respective transition points along the length of the tube, and wherein the tube is seamless and undeformed at the transition points.   
     
     
         2 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein the inner boundary on either side of a transition point is selected from two of the group comprising: a circular profile, an elliptical profile, a raindrop profile, an airfoil profile, a lens profile, a trapezoidal profile, a star profile, and any two of the foregoing that may vary in size or dimension. 
     
     
         3 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein the inner boundary of the tube comprises ridges successively arranged about an interior surface of the tube along the length. 
     
     
         4 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein the outer boundary has fins at the transition points. 
     
     
         5 . The heat exchanger of  claim 2 , wherein the inner boundary and the outer boundary of the cross-sectional geometry have different profiles. 
     
     
         6 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein the tube has an inlet at one end of its length and an outlet at an opposing end of its length, and wherein the inlet and the outlet each have a different cross-sectional geometry. 
     
     
         7 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein the tube is formed of a metal. 
     
     
         8 . The heat exchanger of  claim 7 , wherein the metal is aluminum. 
     
     
         9 . The heat exchanger of  claim 7 , wherein the metal is copper. 
     
     
         10 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein the cross-sectional geometry at different locations along the length of the tube is based upon characteristics of the refrigerant fluid at the different locations. 
     
     
         11 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein the tube comprises fins having varying shapes along the length. 
     
     
         12 . The heat exchanger of  claim 11 , wherein the respective shape of each fin is based upon the characteristics of the refrigerant fluid at that location. 
     
     
         13 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein the seamless and undeformed tube is additively formed. 
     
     
         14 . A heat exchanger, comprising:
 a tube configured to flow a fluid therein to transfer heat, wherein a cross-sectional geometry of the tube varies along a length of the tube, and an inner boundary of the cross-sectional geometry of the tube at a point along the length of the tube corresponds with fluid characteristics of the fluid at the point.   
     
     
         15 . The heat exchanger of  claim 14 , wherein the tube comprises a plurality of fins additively integrated with the tube, wherein each fin of the plurality of fins comprises a respective geometry associated with a respective set of flow characteristics of a second fluid configured to pass across the heat exchanger at a respective location of the heat exchanger having the respective fin. 
     
     
         16 . The heat exchanger of  claim 15 , wherein the tube and the plurality of fins comprise additively formed metal. 
     
     
         17 . The heat exchanger of  claim 16 , wherein the additively formed metal comprises aluminum, copper, stainless steel, or titanium. 
     
     
         18 . The heat exchanger of  claim 14 , wherein the cross-sectional geometry comprises an outer boundary of the tube, and the outer boundary of the tube at the point along the length of the tube corresponds with fluid characteristics of a second fluid configured to flow across the tube at the point. 
     
     
         19 . The heat exchanger of  claim 14 , wherein the heat exchanger comprises a plurality of sections, wherein each section of the plurality of sections is associated with a set of fluid characteristics associated with a flow of the first fluid through the tube in the respective section, wherein each section comprises a respective cross-sectional geometry of the tube that is substantially uniform within the respective section, and wherein the respective cross-sectional geometry of the tube is based at least in part on the respective set of fluid characteristics associated with the flow of the first fluid through the tube in the respective section of the plurality of sections. 
     
     
         20 . The heat exchanger of  claim 14 , wherein the cross-sectional geometry comprises a raindrop shape, an airfoil shape, an ellipse shape, a lens shape, a star shape, a trapezoid shape, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         21 . A heat exchanger, comprising:
 a tube configured to flow a first fluid therein to transfer heat, wherein a cross-sectional geometry of the tube varies along a length of the tube, the cross-sectional geometry comprises an outer boundary of the tube, and the outer boundary of the tube at a point along the length of the tube corresponds with fluid characteristics of a second fluid configured to pass across the tube at the point.   
     
     
         22 . The heat exchanger of  claim 21 , wherein the cross-sectional geometry comprises an inner boundary of the tube, and the inner boundary of the tube at the point along the length of the tube corresponds with fluid characteristics of the first fluid configured to flow through the tube at the point. 
     
     
         23 . The heat exchanger of  claim 21 , wherein the tube comprises a plurality of fins additively integrated with the tube, wherein each fin of the plurality of fins comprises a respective geometry associated with a respective set of flow characteristics of a gas configured to pass across the heat exchanger at a respective location of the heat exchanger having the respective fin. 
     
     
         24 . The heat exchanger of  claim 21 , wherein the cross-sectional geometry of the tube comprises a raindrop shape, an airfoil shape, an ellipse shape, a lens shape, a star shape, a trapezoid shape, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         25 . The heat exchanger of  claim 21 , wherein the tube of the heat exchanger is formed via additive manufacturing. 
     
     
         26 . A method of manufacturing a heat exchanger, comprising:
 determining fluid characteristics of a heat exchanger, wherein the fluid characteristics comprise flow characteristics of a fluid flowing through a tube of the heat exchanger and flow characteristics of a gas flowing across the tube and fins of the heat exchanger;   varying a cross-sectional geometry of the tube of the heat exchanger based at least in part on the flow characteristics of the fluid flowing through the tube of the heat exchanger; and   manufacturing the tube via additive manufacturing to incorporate the varying cross-sectional geometry.   
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , comprising varying geometry of the fins of the heat exchanger based at least in part on the flow characteristics of the gas flowing across the tube and fins of the heat exchanger and manufacturing the fins to incorporate the varying geometry of the fins. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the fluid characteristics comprise pressure data, temperature data, velocity data, fluid phase data, and fluid turbulence data, or any combination thereof associated with the fluid flowing through the tube and/or the gas flowing across the tube and the fins.