Additively Manufactured Fractal Heat Exchanger

Physical Sciences Inc. (PSI) will develop an innovative refrigeration condenser for airborne applications based on PSIs established fractal heat exchanger geometry. This configuration is 60% smaller and 20% lighter than comparable heat exchangers because it uses a branched feed network instead of pipe headers (the heaviest parts of existing heat exchangers).Test articles will be produced with a volumetric energy density of greater than 4.7kW/L (60% better than current) and a specific power greater than 7.4 kW/kg (20% better than current). These laboratory test samples will verify the performance of the design in preparation for full-scale testing in Phase II.PSIs condenser is light enough to be used on refrigeration-equipped aircraft to enable cooling of internal components. The condenser reduces aircraft drag because of its reduced cross-sectional area. It improves packaging within the aircraft due to its reduced overall volume. Together, these changes make it feasible to consider refrigeration as a means to increase internal heat loading on a 6th generation fighter airplane.The advances in mass, frontal area, and volume are made possible by PSIs novel geometry, which makes use of recently-developed numerical optimization techniques and additive manufacturing of metals.