High Payoff 3D Printed Ceramic Heat Exchangers for HVAC

Technology Assessment and Transfer, Inc. in collaboration with the University of Cincinnati and industrial partner Carrier proposes the development and demonstration of light weight, compact additive manufactured (AM) alumina ceramic heat exchangers with exceptional heat transfer properties for a broad spectrum of residential and industrial air to refrigerant HVAC applications. The higher thermal conductivity, dimensional stability, low thermal expansion, corrosion resistance and light weight of alumina makes it the preferred choice over high temperature metals. The proposed approach includes the following tasks: 1)Develop models of compact heat exchanger designs that capitalize on digital light projection (DLP) AM capabilities and predict thermal performance improvements over traditional sheet metal designs, 2) Fabricate sub-scale DLP heat exchanger designs, 3) Measure performance (pressure drop and heat transfer) in in a low-speed air-flow wind tunnel, 4) Compare performance to modeling predictions, 5) Identify dimensional shortfalls relative to design requirements and 6) Prepare a Final Report with all the results, analyses, conclusions and recommendations for accelerated, scale up Phase 2 effort. In Phase 2 UC will incorporate the most up-to-date fabrication capabilities into the designs (e.g. minimum feature size limit, minimum channel size, microstructure, properties) for scale up and testing by Carrier. Commercial applications of these highly efficient, microchannel ceramic heat exchangers will produce substantial energy savings in residential and commercial heat pumps and air conditioners. In addition, spin off opportunities include industrial, automobile, truck. aircraft engine and geothermal heat recovery. Other applications include electronic power modules, radar, laser and other systems with substantial cooling needs.