Cyllindrical helical core geometry for heat exchanger

Abstract

A heat exchanger includes a first fluid manifold extending along a first fluid axis from a first fluid inlet to a first fluid outlet. The first fluid manifold includes first fluid inlet and outlet headers, and a helical core section. The inlet header is disposed to branch the first fluid inlet into a plurality of first fluid branches, and the outlet header is disposed to combine the plurality of first fluid branches into the first fluid outlet. The core section fluidly connects the inlet header to the outlet header via a plurality of helical tubes, such that each helical tube corresponds to one of the plurality of first fluid branches.

1 . A heat exchanger comprising:
 a tubular inlet;   a tubular outlet; and   a core fluidically connecting the tubular inlet to the tubular outlet via a plurality of tubes each having a helical shape and circumferentially displaced from each of the others of the plurality of tubes.   
     
     
         2 . A heat exchanger comprising:
 a fluid manifold extending along a first fluid axis from a first fluid inlet to a first fluid outlet, the first fluid manifold comprising:
 an inlet header disposed to fork the first fluid inlet into a plurality of first fluid branches distributed circumferentially about the first fluid axis; 
 an outlet header disposed to combine the plurality of first fluid branches into the first fluid outlet; and 
 a helical core section fluidly connecting the inlet header to the outlet header via a plurality of cylindrically arranged helical tubes, each helical tube corresponding to one of the plurality of first fluid branches. 
   
     
     
         3 . The heat exchanger of  claim 2 , wherein each of the plurality of helical tubes is structurally independent from all others of the plurality of helical tubes, such that the plurality of helical tubes are mechanically connected to each other only at the inlet header and the outlet header. 
     
     
         4 . The heat exchanger of  claim 2 , wherein each of the plurality of helical tubes extends axially along and circumferentially about the first fluid axis. 
     
     
         5 . The heat exchanger of  claim 2 , wherein the first fluid axis extends linearly from the first fluid inlet passage to the first fluid outlet passage, and wherein the first fluid inlet and the first fluid outlet are themselves oriented along the first fluid axis. 
     
     
         6 . The heat exchanger of  claim 2 , wherein each of the plurality of helical tubes is mechanically separated from adjacent of the plurality of helical tubes by a circumferential and axial gap. 
     
     
         7 . The heat exchanger of  claim 2 , wherein a structural rigidity of the first fluid manifold along the first fluid axis is less than along any radial dimension with respect to the first fluid axis. 
     
     
         8 . The heat exchanger of  claim 7 , wherein the first fluid manifold is situated in an environment with a known range of operating frequencies, and wherein the first fluid manifold has at least a highest amplitude natural resonance frequency of oscillation transverse to the first fluid axis that is greater than the known range of operating frequencies. 
     
     
         9 . The heat exchanger of  claim 2 , wherein each of plurality of helical tubes has a total passage length at least double its extent along the first fluid axis. 
     
     
         10 . The heat exchanger of  claim 2 , wherein the helical core section forms a spring shape extending between the inlet header and the outlet header, wherein the spring shape is principally compliant along the first fluid axis. 
     
     
         11 . The heat exchanger of  claim 2 , wherein the helical core section is capable of compliantly deforming to accommodate axial growth of the inlet header and outlet header. 
     
     
         12 . The heat exchanger of  claim 2 , further comprising a second fluid flow structure disposed to direct a second fluid to impinge on the first fluid manifold, wherein the second fluid flow structure is configured to direct the second fluid generally along a direction from the first fluid outlet to the first fluid inlet. 
     
     
         13 . The heat exchanger of  claim 2 , wherein the inlet header branches the first fluid inlet passage into a first number N of first fluid branches, and wherein the plurality of helical tubes comprises N helical tubes even distributed circumferentially to form a cylindrical arrangement with a circumferential angular separation of 360°/N. 
     
     
         14 . The heat exchanger of  claim 2 , wherein the entirety of the first fluid manifold is formed monolithically as a single structure. 
     
     
         15 . The heat exchanger of  claim 2 , wherein all of the plurality of helical tubes have identical flow area. 
     
     
         16 . The heat exchanger of  claim 16 , wherein all of the plurality of helical tubes have a circular cross-section with a common diameter.