US 11,788,801 B2
Heat exchanger and an additive manufacturing method for manufacturing a heat exchanger
Yannick Sailler, Lyons (FR)
Assigned to VOLVO TRUCK CORPORATION, Gothenburg (SE)
Appl. No. 16/753,604
Filed by VOLVO TRUCK CORPORATION, Gothenburg (SE)
PCT Filed Oct. 13, 2017, PCT No. PCT/IB2017/001434
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Apr. 3, 2020,
PCT Pub. No. WO2019/073277, PCT Pub. Date Apr. 18, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2020/0333089 A1, Oct. 22, 2020
Int. Cl. F28F 9/007 (2006.01); F28D 9/00 (2006.01); F28D 9/04 (2006.01); B33Y 80/00 (2015.01); F28D 21/00 (2006.01)
CPC F28F 9/0075 (2013.01) [F28D 9/0062 (2013.01); F28D 9/04 (2013.01); B33Y 80/00 (2014.12); F28D 2021/0082 (2013.01); F28F 2255/00 (2013.01)] 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A heat exchanger comprising:
a heat exchanger body comprising at least a first channel wall portion, a second channel wall portion, and a third channel wall portion, a first channel defining a first fluid path for a first fluid, said first channel having a first channel height extending from said first channel wall portion to said second channel wall portion;
a second channel defining a second fluid path for a second fluid, said second channel having a second channel height extending from said second channel wall portion to said third channel wall portion such that heat is allowed to be transferred between the first channel and the second channel via said second channel wall portion;
a plurality of first support structures arranged in said first channel and extending from said first channel wall portion to said second channel wall portion, and a plurality of second support structures arranged in said second channel and extending from said second channel wall portion to said third channel wall portion,
wherein said plurality of first support structures are configured to support said second channel wall portion in said first channel, and that said plurality of second support structures are configured to support said third channel wall portion in said second channel, during manufacturing of the heat exchanger and in that said first channel and said second channel are helically shaped and spiral around a center axis of the heat exchanger, the plurality of support structures being arranged in the first channel in a curved spiral pattern configured to direct the first fluid in the first channel towards the center axis, the curved spiral pattern of the first support structures being such that there is a higher density of first support structures closer to the central axis of heat exchanger, and the plurality of the second support structures being arranged in the second channel in a curved spiral pattern configured to direct the second fluid in the second channel towards the center axis, the curved spiral pattern of the second support structures being such that there is a higher density of second support structures closer to the central axis of heat exchanger.