High flow high efficiency EGR cooler

1 . A heat exchanger apparatus comprising:

a housing having a plurality of longitudinal walls;

a plurality of lateral interior diverter walls positioned in the housing to extend away from at least one of the plurality of longitudinal walls to define a plurality of passages between the lateral interior diverter walls and the longitudinal walls, wherein the plurality of passages are configured to receive a second fluid;

a first fluid conduit positioned within the housing, the first fluid conduit defining a first fluid flow path for a first fluid and comprising a fluid diode that is at least partly fluidically diodic and formed of a thermally conductive material, the fluid diode comprising:

a first fluid inlet;

a first fluid outlet;

a first sub-conduit extending from the fluid inlet to the fluid outlet; and

a second sub-conduit extending from the first sub-conduit proximal the fluid inlet to the first sub-conduit proximal the fluid outlet as a partial loop defining a cavity extending through the partial loop;

a second fluid conduit positioned within the housing and fluidly connected with the plurality of passages, the second fluid conduit also positioned within the cavity defined by the partial loop, the second fluid conduit being fluidically isolated from the first fluid conduit, the second fluid conduit defining a second fluid flow path for the second fluid that is separate from the first fluid flow path, wherein the second fluid conduit is in thermal communication with the first fluid conduit.

2 . The heat exchanger apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the fluid diode partly defines the second fluid conduit and the cavity partly defines the second fluid flow path.

3 . The heat exchanger apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second fluid conduit is formed of another thermally conductive material and extends through the cavity.

4 . The heat exchanger apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the fluid diode comprises a Tesla valve.

5 . The heat exchanger apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first sub-conduit defines the first fluid flow path as a substantially linear fluid flow path from the fluid inlet to the fluid outlet.

6 . The heat exchanger apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second sub-conduit defines the second fluid flow path as a substantially curved fluid flow path having a predetermined radius.

7 . The heat exchanger apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:

the fluid inlet comprises a third sub-conduit defining a first substantially linear fluid flow path wherein the fluid flow path is in a reverse flow direction;

the first sub-conduit defines the first fluid flow path as a second substantially linear fluid flow path arranged at a first predetermined angle to the first substantially linear fluid flow path;

the second sub-conduit comprises:

wherein the partial loop includes a curved section in fluid communication with the first sub-conduit, extending away from the first sub-conduit at a second predetermined angle to the first sub-conduit; and

a linear section configured to fluidically connect the third sub-conduit and the curved section, the linear section defining a third substantially linear fluid flow path arranged substantially aligned with the first substantially linear fluid flow path.

8 . The heat exchanger apparatus of claim 7 , wherein:

the linear section has a predetermined length L; and

the curved section has a minimum radius of about

L

⁢

tan

⁢

α

2

,

wherein α is the first predetermined angle.

9 . The heat exchanger apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the first predetermined angle is in a range of about 10 degrees to about 80 degrees.

10 . The heat exchanger apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:

a first inlet manifold in fluidic communication with the first fluid inlet and configured to supply a first fluid to the first fluid conduit;

a second inlet manifold in fluidic communication with a second inlet of the second fluid conduit and configured to supply a second fluid to the second fluid conduit;

a first outlet manifold in fluidic communication with the first fluid outlet; and

a second outlet manifold in fluidic communication with a second fluid outlet of the second fluid conduit.

11 . A heat exchanger apparatus comprising:

a housing having a plurality of longitudinal walls;

a plurality of lateral interior diverter walls positioned in the housing to extend away from at least one of the plurality of longitudinal walls to define a plurality of passages between the lateral interior diverter walls and the longitudinal walls, wherein the plurality of passages are configured to receive a second fluid;

a first fluid conduit positioned within the housing, the first fluid conduit defining a first fluid flow path for a first fluid and configured as a Tesla valve comprising at least one partial loop defining an annulus; and

a second fluid conduit positioned within the housing and fluidly connected with the plurality of passages, the second fluid conduit in thermal communication with the first fluid conduit and defining a second fluid flow path for the second fluid, different from the first fluid flow path, through the annulus.

12 . The heat exchanger of claim 11 , wherein the Tesla valve comprises a plurality of the partial loops, fluidically interconnected and defining the first fluid flow path.

13 . The heat exchanger of claim 11 , further comprising:

a first inlet manifold configured to supply a first fluid to the first fluid conduit, wherein the first fluid conduit comprises another Tesla valve arranged fluidically parallel to the Tesla valve;

a first outlet manifold configured to receive the first fluid from the first fluid conduit;

a second inlet manifold configured to supply a second fluid to the second fluid conduit, wherein the second fluid conduit comprises a plurality of the second fluid flow paths through one or more of the plurality of partial loops; and

a second outlet manifold configured to receive the second fluid from the second fluid conduit.

14 . The heat exchanger of claim 11 , wherein the first fluid comprises combustion exhaust gases, and the second fluid comprises a coolant fluid configured to absorb heat energy transferred away from the combustion exhaust gases.

15 . A method of heat exchange comprising:

providing a housing having a plurality of longitudinal walls, and a plurality of lateral interior diverter walls positioned in the housing to extend away from at least one of the plurality of longitudinal walls to define a plurality of passages between the lateral interior diverter walls and the longitudinal walls, wherein the plurality of passages are configured to receive a second fluid;

flowing a first fluid in a first direction through a first fluid conduit configured as a Tesla valve positioned within the housing, the first fluid conduit defining a first fluid flow path and comprising at least one partial loop defining a cavity extending through the partial loop;

flowing a second fluid through a second fluid conduit positioned within the housing and fluidly connected with the plurality of passages, the second fluid conduit positioned within the cavity defined by the partial loop, the second fluid conduit defining a second fluid flow path for the second fluid that is separate from the first fluid flow path, wherein the second fluid conduit is in thermal communication with the first fluid conduit.

16 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising:

receiving combustion exhaust gases from an exhaust manifold of a combustion engine;

providing the combustion exhaust gases as the first fluid;

cooling the combustion exhaust gases by transferring thermal energy from the combustion exhaust gases to the second fluid; and

providing the cooled combustion exhaust gases to an intake manifold of the combustion engine.

17 . The method of claim 15 , wherein flowing the first fluid in the first direction through the first fluid conduit configured as the Tesla valve defining the first fluid flow path and comprising at least one partial loop defining the cavity comprises:

flowing the first fluid along a first substantially straight portion of the first fluid flow path past an intersection with the partial loop;

redirecting, by the first fluid conduit, the first fluid at a predetermined angle of about 10 degrees to about 80 degrees; and

flowing the first fluid along a second substantially straight portion of the first fluid flow path.

18 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising:

flowing the first fluid through the first fluid flow path in a second direction opposite the first fluid flow direction; and

resisting, by the fluid flow path, fluid flow in the second direction.

19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein:

flowing the first fluid through the first fluid flow path in the second direction opposite the first fluid flow direction comprises:

flowing a first portion of the first fluid flow along a substantially straight portion of the first fluid flow path;

flowing a second portion of the first fluid flow along a curved portion of the first fluid flow path toward an intersection of the curved portion and the substantially straight portion; and

rejoining the first portion of the first fluid flow and the second portion of the first fluid flow proximal the intersection; and

resisting, by the fluid flow path, fluid flow in the second direction comprises fluidically interfering, by the second fluid flow and based on the rejoining, the first fluid flow.

20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein:

the substantially straight portion has a predetermined length L; and

the curved portion has a minimum radius of about

L

⁢

tan

⁢

α

2

,

wherein α is a predetermined angle of the intersection.