Counter flow heat exchanger

Abstract

A counter-flow heat exchanger including: a primary flow passageway comprising a primary flow inlet, a primary flow outlet, and a plurality of primary flow subset passageways therebetween; a secondary flow passageway comprising a secondary flow inlet, a secondary flow outlet, and a plurality of secondary flow subset passageways therebetween; and a heat exchanger core comprising portions of the plurality of primary flow subset passageways and the plurality of secondary flow subset passageways, the secondary flow passageway being in thermal communication with the primary flow passageway in the heat exchanger core, wherein the primary flow subset passageways in the heat exchanger core and the secondary flow subset passageways in the heat exchanger core are oriented such that primary fluid flow through the primary flow subset passageways flows opposite secondary fluid flow through the secondary flow subset passageways.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A counter-flow heat exchanger, comprising:
 a primary flow passageway comprising a primary flow inlet, a primary flow outlet, and a plurality of primary flow subset passageways therebetween;   a secondary flow passageway comprising a secondary flow inlet, a secondary flow outlet, and a plurality of secondary flow subset passageways therebetween; and   a heat exchanger core comprising portions of the plurality of primary flow subset passageways and the plurality of secondary flow subset passageways, the secondary flow passageway being in thermal communication with the primary flow passageway in the heat exchanger core,   wherein the primary flow subset passageways in the heat exchanger core and the secondary flow subset passageways in the heat exchanger core are oriented such that primary fluid flow through the primary flow subset passageways flows opposite secondary fluid flow through the secondary flow subset passageways.   
     
     
         2 . The counter-flow heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein the primary flow passageway further comprises a primary flow inlet fractal header fluidly connecting the primary flow inlet to each of the plurality of primary flow subset passageways, the primary flow inlet fractal header being configured to fractally branch the fluid flow from a single passageway at the primary flow inlet to the plurality of primary flow subset passageways. 
     
     
         3 . The counter-flow heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein the secondary flow passageway further comprises a secondary flow inlet fractal header fluidly connecting the secondary flow inlet to each of the plurality of secondary flow subset passageways, the secondary flow inlet fractal header being configured to fractally branch the fluid flow from a single passageway at the secondary flow inlet to the plurality of secondary flow subset passageways. 
     
     
         4 . The counter-flow heat exchanger of  claim 2 , wherein the secondary flow passageway further comprises a secondary flow inlet fractal header fluidly connecting the secondary flow inlet to each of the plurality of secondary flow subset passageways, the secondary flow inlet fractal header being configured to fractally branch the fluid flow from a single passageway at the secondary flow inlet to the plurality of secondary flow subset passageways. 
     
     
         5 . The counter-flow heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein the primary flow passageway further comprises a primary flow outlet fractal header fluidly connecting the primary flow outlet to each of the plurality of primary flow subset passageways, the primary flow outlet fractal header being configured to fractally unify the primary flow subset passageways to a single passageway at the primary flow outlet. 
     
     
         6 . The counter-flow heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein the secondary flow passageway further comprises a secondary flow outlet fractal header fluidly connecting the secondary flow outlet to each of the plurality of secondary flow subset passageways, the secondary flow outlet fractal header being configured to fractally unify the secondary flow subset passageways to a single passageway at the secondary flow outlet. 
     
     
         7 . The counter-flow heat exchanger of  claim 2 , wherein the primary flow passageway further comprises a primary flow outlet fractal header fluidly connecting the primary flow outlet to each of the plurality of primary flow subset passageways, the primary flow outlet fractal header being configured to fractally unify the primary flow subset passageways to a single passageway at the primary flow outlet. 
     
     
         8 . The counter-flow heat exchanger of  claim 3 , wherein the secondary flow passageway further comprises a secondary flow outlet fractal header fluidly connecting the secondary flow outlet to each of the plurality of secondary flow subset passageways, the secondary flow outlet fractal header being configured to fractally unify the secondary flow subset passageways to a single passageway at the secondary flow outlet. 
     
     
         9 . The counter-flow heat exchanger of  claim 4 , wherein the primary flow passageway further comprises a primary flow outlet fractal header fluidly connecting the primary flow outlet to each of the plurality of primary flow subset passageways, the primary flow outlet fractal header being configured to fractally unify the primary flow subset passageways to a single passageway at the primary flow outlet. 
     
     
         10 . The counter-flow heat exchanger of  claim 4 , wherein the secondary flow passageway further comprises a secondary flow outlet fractal header fluidly connecting the secondary flow outlet to each of the plurality of secondary flow subset passageways, the secondary flow outlet fractal header being configured to fractally unify the secondary flow subset passageways to a single passageway at the secondary flow outlet. 
     
     
         11 . The counter-flow heat exchanger of  claim 10 , wherein the primary flow passageway further comprises a primary flow outlet fractal header fluidly connecting the primary flow outlet to each of the plurality of primary flow subset passageways, the primary flow outlet fractal header being configured to fractally unify the primary flow subset passageways to a single passageway at the primary flow outlet. 
     
     
         12 . The counter-flow heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein the counter-flow heat exchanger is built in a single piece using additive manufacturing. 
     
     
         13 . The counter-flow heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein multiple linearly extending cylinders form each individual primary flow subset passageway and each individual secondary flow subset passageway within the heat exchanger core. 
     
     
         14 . The counter-flow heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein multiple curvilinear extending cylinders form each individual primary flow subset passageway and each individual secondary flow subset passageway within the heat exchanger core. 
     
     
         15 . The counter-flow heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger core is composed of parallel alternating layers of the primary flow subset passageways and the secondary flow subset passageways. 
     
     
         16 . The counter-flow heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the primary flow subset passageways and the secondary flow subset passageways are circular in shape. 
     
     
         17 . The counter-flow heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein the primary flow subset passageways are physically connected to the secondary flow subset passageways within the heat exchanger core. 
     
     
         18 . A method of manufacturing a counter-flow heat exchanger, the method comprising:
 forming a counter-flow heat exchanger using additive manufacturing, the counter flow heat exchanger comprising:
 a primary flow passageway comprising a primary flow inlet, a primary flow outlet, and a plurality of primary flow subset passageways therebetween; 
 a secondary flow passageway comprising a secondary flow inlet, a secondary flow outlet, and a plurality of secondary flow subset passageways therebetween; and 
 a heat exchanger core comprising portions of the plurality of primary flow subset passageways and the plurality of secondary flow subset passageways, the secondary flow passageway being in thermal communication with the primary flow passageway in the heat exchanger core, 
 wherein the primary flow subset passageways in the heat exchanger core and the secondary flow subset passageways in the heat exchanger core are oriented such that primary fluid flow through the primary flow subset passageways flows opposite secondary fluid flow through the secondary flow subset passageways. 
   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the additive manufacturing is via direct metal laser sintering.