Flow-priority optimization of additively manufactured variable-TPMS lattice heat exchanger based on macroscopic analysis

TL;DR

The paper addresses optimizing flow distribution in additively manufactured two-fluid heat exchangers by modeling the TPMS lattice as a porous medium within a Brinkman–Forchheimer framework and introducing a volumetric heat-transfer coefficient to couple fluid and solid. It proposes an optimization using the isosurface threshold of a Primitive TPMS to control hot/cold flow priority, solved via FEM and MMA, with properties computed by RVE homogenization. The approach yields a quantified improvement in heat-transfer performance both computationally (~$20\%$) and experimentally (~$28.7\%$) over a uniform lattice, validated through LPBF-fabricated samples. The method provides a practical route to tailor flow-path topology in AM lattices for enhanced heat transfer, while recognizing limitations in property validity under nonperiodic, high-flow conditions and fabrication-induced geometrical imperfections.

Abstract

Heat exchangers incorporating triply periodic minimal surface (TPMS) lattice structures have attracted considerable research interest because they promote uniform flow distribution, disrupt boundary layers, and improve convective heat-transfer performance. However, from the perspective of forming a macroscopic flow pattern optimized for heat-exchange efficiency, a uniform lattice is not necessarily the optimal configuration. This study initially presents a macroscopic modeling approach for a two-fluid heat exchanger equipped with a TPMS Primitive lattice. The macroscopic flow analysis is conducted based on the Darcy--Forchheimer theory. Under the assumption that heat is transferred solely at the interface between the fluid and the TPMS walls, a macroscopic heat-transfer model is developed using a volumetric heat-transfer coefficient, which serves as an artificial property characterizing the unit-volume heat-transfer capability. To regulate the relative dominance of the hot and cold flows-effectively, the channel widths-within the heat exchanger, we adopt the isosurface threshold of the Primitive lattice as the design variable and construct an optimization scheme for the lattice distribution using the previously described macroscopic model. The optimization is subsequently carried out for a planar heat exchanger where the hot and cold fluids each follow U-shaped flow trajectories. The optimal solution was verified, and its validity was examined through detailed geometric analysis and experiments conducted using metal LPBF. The optimal solution derived from the macroscopic model also demonstrated a clear performance advantage over the uniform lattice in the experimental results. The optimal solution obtained from the macroscopic model also demonstrated a clear performance improvement over the uniform lattice, with an average enhancement of 28.7% in the experimental results.

Figures (14)

• Figure 1: Outline of analysis model.
• Figure 2: Analysis models and boundary conditions for calculating the effective physical properties: (a) permeability and drag coefficient, (b) effective heat conductivity, and (c) volumetric heat-transfer coefficient.
• Figure 3: Relationship between the value of the isosurface threshold $C$ and the lattice geometry
• Figure 4: Detailed analysis model for optimization.
• Figure 5: Optimization algorithm flowchart.