HEAT EXCHANGER WITH HELICAL PASSAGEWAYS
A heat exchanger can include a first helical gas passageway extending from a first side of the heat exchanger to a second side of the heat exchanger. The first helical gas passageway can extend along and wrap around a first liquid passageway within the heat exchanger. A second helical gas passageway can extend from the first side of the heat exchanger to the second side of the heat exchanger. The second helical gas passageway can extend along and wrap around a second liquid passageway within the heat exchanger. Along a length of the first helical gas passageway, the first helical gas passageway can merge with the second helical gas passageway and then subsequently separate from the second helical gas passageway. The heat exchanger can be a liquid-to-gas counter-flow heat exchanger suitable for a wide variety of applications, including computer cooling.
1 . A heat exchanger comprising:
a first helical gas passageway extending from a first side of the heat exchanger to a second side of the heat exchanger, the first helical gas passageway extending along, wrapping around, and in direct thermal communication with a first liquid passageway within the heat exchanger; and
a second helical gas passageway extending from the first side of the heat exchanger to the second side of the heat exchanger, the second helical gas passageway extending along, wrapping around, and in direct thermal communication with a second liquid passageway within the heat exchanger,
wherein along a length of the first helical gas passageway, the first helical gas passageway merges with and then separates from the second helical gas passageway within the heat exchanger.
2 . The heat exchanger of claim 1 , further comprising a third helical gas passageway extending from the first side of the heat exchanger to the second side of the heat exchanger, the third helical gas passageway extending along, wrapping around, and in direct thermal communication with a third liquid passageway within the heat exchanger, wherein along the length of the first helical gas passageway, the first helical gas passageway merges with the third helical gas passageway within the heat exchanger and then separates from the third helical gas passageway.
3 . The heat exchanger of claim 2 , further comprising a fourth helical gas passageway extending from the first side of the heat exchanger to the second side of the heat exchanger, the fourth helical gas passageway extending along, wrapping around, and in direct thermal communication with a fourth liquid passageway within the heat exchanger, wherein along the length of the first helical gas passageway, the first helical gas passageway merges with the fourth helical gas passageway within the heat exchanger and then separates from the fourth helical gas passageway.
4 . The heat exchanger of claim 3 , wherein the first helical gas passageway, the second helical gas passageway, the third helical gas passageway, and the fourth helical gas passageway are part of a jointless, homogeneous structure.
5 . The heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger is a liquid-to-gas counter-flow heat exchanger for computer cooling.
6 . The heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein the first liquid passageway has a diameter of about 0.02-0.04, 0.03-0.05, 0.04-0.06, 0.05-0.07, or 0.06-0.08 inches and a wall thickness of about 0.02-0.04, 0.03-0.05, 0.04-0.06, 0.05-0.07, or 0.06-0.08 inches.
7 . The heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger comprises a material having a thermal conductivity less than 10, 5, 2, or 0.5 W/m-K.
8 . The heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein the first helical passageway wraps around the first liquid passageway 0.5-1.0, 0.75-1.5, 1.25-2, 1.5-3, 2-4, or more than 3 times along a length of the first liquid passageway.
9 . A heat exchanger comprising:
a dual tapered inlet manifold comprising: a liquid inlet configured to receive a liquid; a first tapered inlet manifold portion fluidly connected to the liquid inlet and tapering in cross-sectional area in a direction away from the liquid inlet; and a second tapered inlet manifold portion fluidly connected to the liquid inlet and tapering in a direction away from the liquid inlet;
a first plurality of submanifolds fluidly connecting the first tapered inlet manifold portion to the second tapered inlet manifold portion;
a plurality of liquid passageways fluidly connecting the first plurality of submanifolds to a second plurality of submanifolds;
a dual tapered outlet manifold comprising: a liquid outlet configured to discharge liquid;
a first tapered outlet manifold portion fluidly connected to the liquid outlet and tapering in cross-sectional area in a direction away from the liquid outlet; and a second tapered outlet manifold portion fluidly connected to the liquid outlet and tapering in a direction away from the liquid outlet, wherein the second plurality of submanifolds fluidly connect the first tapered outlet manifold portion to the second tapered outlet manifold portion; and
a plurality of helical gas passageways extending from a first side of the heat exchanger to a second side of the heat exchanger, wherein a first helical gas passageway of the plurality of helical gas passageways extends along and around a first outer surface of a first liquid passageway of the plurality of liquid passageways.
10 . The heat exchanger of claim 9 , wherein the first helical gas passageway is bounded at least in part by a first helical fin protruding from and extending along and around the first outer surface of the first liquid passageway and by a second helical fin protruding from and extending along and around the first outer surface of the first liquid passageway.
11 . The heat exchanger of claim 10 , wherein along at least a portion of the first helical gas passageway, the first helical gas passageway is bounded by a third helical fin protruding from and extending along and around a second outer surface of a second liquid passageway, wherein a first tip of the first helical fin mates with a third tip of the third helical fin along at least a portion of the first helical gas passageway.
12 . The heat exchanger of claim 11 , wherein along at least a potion of the first helical gas passageway, the first helical gas passageway is bounded by a fourth helical fin protruding from and extending along and around the second outer surface of the second liquid passageway, wherein a second tip of the second helical fin mates with a fourth tip of the fourth helical fin along at least a portion of the first helical gas passageway.
13 . The heat exchanger of claim 12 , wherein along at least a portion of the first helical gas passageway, the first helical gas passageway is bounded by a fifth helical fin protruding from and extending along and around a third outer surface of a third liquid passageway, wherein the second tip of the second helical fin mates with a fifth tip of the fifth helical fin along at least a portion of the first helical gas passageway, wherein along at least a portion of the first helical gas passageway, the first helical gas passageway is bounded by a sixth helical fin protruding from and extending along and around a fourth outer surface of a fourth liquid passageway, wherein the first tip of the first helical fin mates with a sixth tip of the sixth helical fin along at least a portion of the first helical gas passageway.
14 . The heat exchanger of claim 9 , wherein the first plurality of submanifolds each comprises a first end fluidly connected to the first tapered inlet manifold portion, a second end fluidly connected to the second tapered inlet manifold portion, and a tapered section located between the first end and the second end.
15 . The heat exchanger of claim 9 , wherein the first helical gas passageway is in direct thermal communication with the first liquid passageway and rotates around the first liquid passageway 0.5-1.0, 0.75-1.5, 1.25-2, 1.5-3, 2-4, or more than 3 times over a length of the first liquid passageway.
16 . The heat exchanger of claim 9 , wherein the first liquid passageway comprises a material having a thermal conductivity less than 10, 5, 2, or 0.5 W/m-K.
17 . The heat exchanger of claim 9 , wherein the first liquid passageway has a diameter of about 0.02-0.04, 0.03-0.05, 0.04-0.06, 0.05-0.07, or 0.06-0.08 inches.
18 . The heat exchanger of claim 9 , wherein the heat exchanger has a density less than 1.4, 1.3, or 1.2 grams per cubic centimeter and a thermal conductance greater than 2, 3, or 4 W/K.
19 . The heat exchanger of claim 9 , wherein the first helical fin comprises a turbulence-inducing micro-textured surface comprising micro-sized protrusions extending into the helical gas passageway.
20 . A heat exchanger comprising:
an inlet manifold comprising: a liquid inlet configured to receive a liquid; a first inlet manifold portion fluidly connected to the liquid inlet; and a second inlet manifold portion fluidly connected to the liquid inlet;
a first plurality of submanifolds fluidly connecting the first inlet manifold portion to the second inlet manifold portion;
a plurality of liquid passageways fluidly connecting the first plurality of submanifolds to a second plurality of submanifolds;
an outlet manifold comprising: a liquid outlet configured to discharge liquid; a first outlet manifold portion fluidly connected to the liquid outlet; and a second outlet manifold portion fluidly connected to the liquid outlet, wherein the second plurality of submanifolds fluidly connect the first outlet manifold portion to the second outlet manifold portion; and
a plurality of helical gas passageways extending from a first side of the heat exchanger to a second side of the heat exchanger, wherein a first helical gas passageway of the plurality of helical gas passageways extends along and around a first outer surface of a first liquid passageway of the plurality of liquid passageways, and wherein first helical gas passageway is in direct thermal communication with the first liquid passageway.