Segmented heat exchanger

Abstract

A method can comprise dividing a heat exchanger design into a plurality of modules, the plurality of modules arranged in a grid, each module in the plurality of modules including: a first fluid conduit defining an inlet, an outlet, and a heat-transfer surface, and a first flow direction, and a second fluid conduit defining a second inlet, a second outlet, a second heat-transfer surface, and a second flow direction, the second flow direction different from the first flow direction; and determining a heat-transfer augmenter arrangement for the first fluid conduit and the second fluid conduit of each module in the plurality of modules based on a stress threshold of the module in the plurality of modules.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method, comprising:
 dividing a heat exchanger design into a plurality of modules, the plurality of modules arranged in a grid, each module in the plurality of modules including:
 a first fluid conduit defining an inlet, an outlet, and a heat-transfer surface, and a first flow direction, and 
 a second fluid conduit defining a second inlet, a second outlet, a second heat-transfer surface, and a second flow direction, the second flow direction different from the first flow direction; and 
   determining a heat-transfer augmenter arrangement for the first fluid conduit and the second fluid conduit of each module in the plurality of modules based on a stress threshold of the module in the plurality of modules.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising manufacturing a heat exchanger based on the heat exchanger design. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the first fluid conduit of each module in the plurality of modules forms a first heat exchanger fluid conduit extending from a first side of the heat exchanger design to a second side of the heat exchanger design, and   the second fluid conduit of each module in the plurality of modules form together a second heat exchanger fluid conduit extending from a third side of the heat exchanger design to a fourth side of the heat exchanger design.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein in response to determining the heat-transfer augmenter arrangement, the first fluid conduit in a first module of the plurality of modules has a first heat-transfer coefficient and the first fluid conduit in a second module of the plurality of modules has a second heat-transfer coefficient, the second heat-transfer coefficient being different than the first heat-transfer coefficient. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein in response to determining the heat-transfer augmenter arrangement, the first fluid conduit in the first module of the plurality of modules includes a first wave and the first fluid conduit in the second module of the plurality of modules has a second wave, the second wave having a different wavelength than the first wave. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the first fluid conduit is disposed vertically adjacent to the second fluid conduit. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the determining the heat-transfer augmenter arrangement further comprises simulating each module in the plurality of modules as an independent heat exchanger in the heat exchanger design. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger design is a plate heat exchanger design. 
     
     
         9 . A design process, comprising:
 receiving, via a processor, boundary conditions for designing a modular heat exchanger, the modular heat exchanger comprising an M×N grid of modules, each module including at least two of a first fluid conduit defining a first flow direction interleaved and at least two off a second fluid conduit defining a second flow direction, the at least two of the first fluid conduit interleaved between the at least two of the second fluid conduit, the boundary conditions including a stress threshold envelope;   determining, via the processor and through a simulator, a desired heat-transfer coefficient for each heat-transfer surface in each fluid conduit of the modular heat exchanger based on the boundary conditions; and   in response to determining the desired heat-transfer coefficient, designing a heat-transfer augmenter arrangement for each fluid conduit in each module of the modular heat exchanger.   
     
     
         10 . The design process of  claim 9 , wherein the boundary conditions further include an inlet temperature of a first fluid at a first side of the modular heat exchanger and a second inlet temperature of a second fluid at a second side of the modular heat exchanger. 
     
     
         11 . The design process of  claim 9 , wherein M×N is at least 3×3. 
     
     
         12 . The design process of  claim 9 , wherein:
 the first fluid conduit of each module in the plurality of modules forms a first heat exchanger fluid conduit extending from a first side of the modular heat exchanger to a second side of the modular heat exchanger, and   the second fluid conduit of each module in the plurality of modules form together a second heat exchanger fluid conduit extending from a third side of the modular heat exchanger to a fourth side of the modular heat exchanger.   
     
     
         13 . The design process of  claim 12 , wherein the designing the heat-transfer augmenter arrangement includes designing a first wave in the first fluid conduit of a first module and designing a second wave in the first fluid conduit of a second module, the first wave having a different wavelength than the second wave. 
     
     
         14 . The design process of  claim 13 , wherein the designing the heat-transfer augmenter arrangement includes designing a first heat-transfer augmenter in the first fluid conduit of the first module and designing a second heat-transfer augmenter in the first fluid conduit of the second module, wherein the first heat-transfer augmenter is different from the second heat-transfer augmenter. 
     
     
         15 . A modular heat exchanger, comprising:
 a grid of heat exchanger modules, the grid of heat exchanger modules comprising:
 a first side disposed laterally opposite a second side, 
 a first plurality of fluid conduits, each fluid conduit in the first plurality of fluid conduits extending from the first side to the second side, each fluid conduit in the first plurality of fluid conduits extending through a first set of modules in the grid of heat exchanger modules, 
 a first fluid conduit of a first module in the grid of heat exchanger modules, a second fluid conduit of a second module in the grid of heat exchanger modules, and a third fluid conduit of a third module in the grid of heat exchanger modules defining a respective fluid conduit in the first plurality of fluid conduits, and 
 a first heat-transfer augmenter arrangement of a first heat-transfer surface in the first fluid conduit being different from a second heat-transfer augmenter arrangement of a second heat-transfer surface of the second fluid conduit. 
   
     
     
         16 . The modular heat exchanger of  claim 15 , wherein a third heat-transfer augmenter arrangement of a third heat-transfer surface of the third fluid conduit is different from the first heat-transfer augmenter arrangement and the second heat-transfer augmenter arrangement. 
     
     
         17 . The modular heat exchanger of  claim 15 , wherein the grid of heat exchanger modules further comprises a third side disposed laterally opposite a fourth side, a second plurality of fluid conduits extending from the third side to the fourth side, each fluid conduit in the second plurality of fluid conduits extending through a second set of modules in the grid of heat exchanger modules. 
     
     
         18 . The modular heat exchanger of  claim 17 , wherein a fourth fluid conduit of a fourth module in the grid of heat exchanger modules, a fifth fluid conduit of a fifth module in the grid of heat exchanger modules, and the first module in the grid of heat exchanger modules defines a sixth fluid conduit in the second plurality of fluid conduits. 
     
     
         19 . The modular heat exchanger of  claim 18 , wherein a fourth heat-transfer augmenter arrangement of a fourth heat-transfer surface in the fourth fluid conduit is different from a fifth heat-transfer augmenter arrangement of a fifth heat-transfer surface of the fifth fluid conduit. 
     
     
         20 . The modular heat exchanger of  claim 19 , wherein a sixth augmenter heat-transfer arrangement of a sixth heat-transfer surface of the sixth fluid conduit is different from the fourth heat-transfer augmenter arrangement and the fifth heat-transfer augmenter arrangement.